The New Era (UNDER REVISION)
by Karmaisms
Summary: 30 years have passed, and things have changed rather drastically. Society, Technology, The Spirits, nothing remained the same after Avatar Korra's unexpected death. With the looming threat of the resurgence of Vaatu, the cycle begins once again, but with a reckless and brash Earthbender named Huojin. If he doesn't master the four elements in time... there won't be a world to save.
1. Prologue

**T** sangpo. This was the only town found in the Valley of Charwa. Of course, like most of the towns and villages of the Air Nation, Tsangpo claimed to be the birthplace of the first Airbending Avatar. However, nobody but the residents of the town believed it. They never bothered to question the truth.

Wherever one would look, there would be rolling hills of tall, emerald grass. There were, of course, multitudes of tea-fields and farm pastures, but the homes and quite a few other structures were what most would consider _ancient marvels._ Not a single piece of modern concrete or steel could be seen in sight; everything had been made entirely of the bamboo, oak, and even the clay gathered from the river banks.

Although, the only known "home" made of clay belonged to an ex-monk. Wu-sheng was his name, and the home that he dwelled in was quite a popular spot among the townspeople, serving more as a teahouse rather than a normal house.

Wu-sheng's Teahouse was busier than usual, weary travelers and hungry residents enjoying the famed butter tea and cabbage soup. Wu-sheng made sure his customers were satisfied. Outsiders or not, they were always given a warm welcome by the owner himself.

As patrons enjoyed the company of others downstairs, Wu-sheng tended to his garden on the rooftop. Vines and flowers blossomed under the warm sun, the grass grew wild, and the rice paddy field was nearly ready to be harvested. He let his Sky Bison, Khenpo, graze at the overgrown grass.

"Good boy, Khenpo," said Wu-sheng, stroking the Bison's soft fur. "If you're still hungry, you can have some of the leftover tea leaves. How does that sound?"

Khenpo snorted, nudging at Wu-sheng's chest.

"Fattening you up for the winter will prove to be beneficial for you, Khenpo. We wouldn't want you being fur and bones, would we? That would be _very_ bad," Wu-sheng warned, "Go on. I know you've been eyeing that herd near the Chā River. Try not to lose a horn, alright?"

He motioned for the Sky Bison to leave. Khenpo, lifting his tail, flew off into the distance, gusts of wind letting him glide with no trouble at all. Planting his feet in the ground, Wu-sheng allowed himself to flow with the wind, robes catching the strong gusts.

Wu-sheng scratched at his growing stubble, and let out a prolonged yawn, the tiredness all too clear in his sienna eyes.

 _ **"I see you are still gardening like always, young bender."**_ A green spirit appeared in Wu-sheng's garden, its tail swaying back and forth. It had no face, but its size greatly intimidated the airbender.

 _ **"Graying hair, the marks of mastery... you are no young bender,"**_ said the spirit. _**"Do you not remember me, airbender? The spirit that once guided you to this point in your lifetime?"**_

"I always remember a spirit," Wu-sheng nodded, "Shouwei, yes? Now I remember. You were once my guiding spirit. I no longer needed you after I finished my training."

 _ **"You ousted me!"**_ Shouwei's aura flared, but he calmed down once again. _**"The mind of a young bender such as yourself was... unstable. Conflict clouded your mind, and judgement ultimately blocked your way. You are lucky to be alive today, living among benders and non-benders alike."**_

"I am sorry for what I did to you, Shouwei. I was only a boy!" Wu-sheng shouted, hands clenched at his sides. "Why? Why are you here?"

Shouwei's translucent body flickered, pale brown fur soon forming on his right arm. _**"I am becoming the old spirit I was once. The Greater Spirits are finally smiling down upon me,"**_ he spoke. _**"I can sense the beginning of a new life, Wu-sheng. A new master of all four elements."**_

Wu-sheng's jaw practically fell to the ground. "Th-The Avatar..?" He was in shock, heart nearly skipping a beat. "How can one be so sure?"

 _ **"Never question the instincts of a spirit. We are all connected, but a Master such as yourself should know this, am I incorrect?"**_ Shouwei chuckled, proving that such a spirit had a sense of humor. He paused for a brief second, sniffing the air. _**"He will be born weak, sickly. The Greater Spirits speak of him, his family, as well. His mother, she is expecting two children, and one will only possess Raava's spirit. The other..."**_

Wu-sheng awaited an answer, wondering what was to happen to the second child.

 _ **"The other is to die within the womb. They are to be stillborn,"**_ Shouwei spoke, saddened by the news he had been given. **_"His mother is alone, she is scared. If we travel to the Earth Kingdom beginning tonight, we may aid her in caring for the child._**

"We? I want no part in this, Shouwei. We're _done_ ," Wu-sheng argued. Feeling a strong hand on his shoulder, the human doubled-over in a combination of pain and confusion. The mother of the new Avatar, she sat alone within the emptied hull of a beached ship, the intense labor pains making her screams all the more intense. She called out for her husband, but even Wu-sheng could sense that nobody was coming for her.

She would have to care for the newborn _alone_.

He almost broke down into tears.

 _ **"You saw it? A mother abandoned by those she once trusted? It will be days before the father will find those he lost,"**_ Shouwei bowed, one of his curved horns becoming visible. **_"This child, he will need a mentor."_**

"What if he doesn't want to trust me?" What if he turns to a darker route?" questioned Wu-sheng, worried of the young child's fate. "My own son turned his back to me. I cannot go through that again in my lifetime."

 _ **"Yes, there is always that possibility. Vaatu's influence remains strong within this world, but there shall never be an era in which that abomination of a spirit is in control,"**_ Shouwei sighed. _ **"Do not make me beg, Wu-sheng. In order to bring balance to the world, the Avatar must master all four elements. If not, madness will overtake the goodness of this world. Wars, violence, death, I... I cannot bare to see the youngest of all generations in such despair."**_

Shouwei's entire body became visible, taking on the form of a fully-formed spirit. Ivory horns curved upwards, jutting from his brown-furred forehead. Unlike most spirits, he was once a creature of the wilds- a true member of a growing pack- but _that_ was during the era of Avatar Wan.

An era that was nearly 10,000 years ago.

 _ **"This is the last time I offer this chance to you, Wu-sheng,"** _ Shouwei lowered his head. _**"Choose wisely. Should this child die, all will be lost."**_

In an instant, Shouwei was gone, burning embers and oak leaves flying off into the wind.

The recent conversation replayed in Wu-sheng's mind. He sat in his garden, debating the choices that were given to him. If he left now, the possibility of coming back to his teahouse would be small, and sacrificing his life to protect the Avatar would be inevitable. If Wu-sheng remained where he was, he would live to die at an old age, even live long enough to see his great grandchildren, but the chance of losing the Avatar to Vaatu would be greater than before.

Already, the choice was obvious.

 _He needed to leave as soon as possible._

 ** _"Travel to the outskirts of the Metal Nation, and there you will find the mother and her child. Take them to Piao Li,"_** Shouwei's voice echoed in Wu-sheng's head. _**"Go. Take only what you need. This is the last common day of your life, Wu-sheng. Dark spirits will not rest until the Avatar is dead."**_

 **《** **》**

 _...4 years later..._

Wu-sheng became a bit of a second father to the young Avatar. Had he not made it to the child's mother in time, surely they would have died in the rising tides. They were taken to the safety of Zaofu, monks of a nearby temple aiding in the delivery of the child. And, as Shouwei said, only one of the two twins were stillborn.

The other, however, _lived_.

The green-eyed bundle of joy had been named Huojin, a name that once belonged to the infant's great-grandfather. Upon hearing the news of the birth of his own son, Huojin's Father had returned to his wife and son; the once arrogant, obstinate man turned into a caring, pride-instilled father upon seeing the infant.

A family had been reunited by Wu-sheng's actions, and in return, he had been allowed to stay within their home, becoming a mentor to Huojin.

Of course, when everyone discovered that the boy began to bend the rocks that surrounded him _and_ force the fire of a candle to dance in the shadows, teachers were needed to train Huojin.

And Wu-sheng became one of the four to be said teacher.

"Tell me another story, Wu? Pwease?" Huojin squealed, the toddler's tiny hands grabbing at the book. "I'll go to sleep wight after!"

"I don't think staying up for another hour is good for a boy at your age. Besides, you wouldn't want to begin your birthday with an argument, would you?" warned Wu-sheng, carrying the boy to his room. "Ujurak will start teaching you how to waterbend soon enough. Doesn't that sound exciting?"

Huojin smiled, hands flailing with excitement.

"From what I heard, waterbending isn't that simple. You may ask Ujurak about it in the morning," Wu-sheng said. "Before that, you must learn Airbending from me, and you might end up becoming a Master."

"Does that mean I can fwy?" Huojin gasped, mispronouncing the word 'fly'.

"Well, we'll talk about getting you a glider when you're older. _Much_ older," Wu-sheng stuttered, letting Huojin hop out of his arms. "Who knows, you might even get your own Bison some day."

Huojin squealed with excitement once again, his little legs carrying him to his room.

"Go to bed, Huojin," Wu-sheng sighed, smiling wearily. "Get some rest."

"But I wanna say goodnight to mommy," Huojin groaned, raising his arms for Wu-sheng to lift him. "Can I?"

"I'll make sure your mother comes to give you a kiss, Huojin." the airbender said, lifting and placing Huojin in his wooden crib. "Those who wish to grow need their sleep."

Huojin yawned, burying himself under the blankets. Grabbing the Badgermole toy placed in the corner, Huojin hugged it closely to his chest, slowly beginning to doze off. While one small hand held the stuffed animal, the other was near Huojin's mouth, the toddler sucking at his own thumb.

"If only he'd stay like this for another year or two," Wu-sheng spoke to himself, creating a bit of a gust to turn the crib's mobile.

Wu-sheng turned and crept out of the room, avoiding the scattered toys and clothes as he closed the door behind him. He was commonly full of energy, able to fight sleep whenever he could, but chasing after a bumbling, one-toothed toddler was _very_ stressful. Especially if said toddler was the Avatar.

Wu-sheng, however, wasn't the only master bender the family had hired to look after Huojin.

There was Ujurak of the Southern Water Tribe, Iron Fist of Omashu, Fujiko of Ember Island, and then there was Wu-sheng, the airbender of Tsangpo. He knew Ujurak as a "brother", not a fellow master. But, in the eyes of Guangli, they were only teachers, hired to help Huojin master the four elements.

Wu-sheng was familiar with the others, their pasts and activities recorded and saved in Wa Shi Tong's Library. Even though there were four benders protecting Huojin, the dark spirits were going to make a future attempt to kill the boy, Wu-sheng could _feel_ it.

It may have been a gut feeling, but even he could feel Huojin's spiritual energy from a distance. It was like an aura, one that affected both the Spirit and Normal world.

If the darkness couldn't reach Huojin, the Red Lotus would kill anyone to get the avatar.

Anyone **and** everyone.


	2. One: The Beginning

The smell of broiled duck wafted out of the kitchen. The Ou-yang Family's chef, Ogotai, whistled away as he prepared lunch. It was nothing special, but it was better than his... rather infamous Boar-Q-Pine soup. Ogotai arranged the meal on a terracotta plate, almost dowsing the duck in sauce. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he was satisfied with his work. Although, he was afraid that someone was going to take it, _and_ while he was cleaning the dishes. The chef knew his food was being swiped, but by who? He was going to find out, even if it meant chopping the culprit's fingers off with a **butcher knife.** Ogotai stretched his arms, and let out a yawn. When he blinked once...

His food was gone, and all that was left on the plate was some leftover sauce.

Ogotai was furious, his face turning as red as a fireball. Feeling something drip down his neck, he looked up, some of the sauce falling onto his forehead. Eating the stolen duck, a tall, green-eyed young man enjoyed the meal while he could, laughing and teasing the old chef.

" _ **Huojin!**_ " Ogotai shouted to the top his lungs, "You've got to be kidding me! That plate was for your mother!"

Huojin set the plate down, and hung upside down from the shelf.

"Aw, come on, Ogotai!" Huojin crossed his arms, "Like you said, I'm growing! I gotta eat!"

"For someone as yourself turning 18, eating more is going make you fat," Ogotai sighed, looking at his own belly, "You're lucky, m'boy. As thin as you are, you are never going to gain weight."

"Hey, I'm the Avatar! The first Earthbending Avatar in over 200 years! If I'm protecting the world, I have to be strong, right?" Huojin flexed his growing muscles. He climbed down from the shelf, dusting the crumbs and dirt from his clothes.

He wore rather old clothing, as if he fell straight out of Iron Fist's wardrobe. His pants were apart of the old Earth Kingdom Military uniform, dirt standing our from the dark green and gold trim fabric. Huojin's tanktop was a lighter, forest green color, sweat and dust sticking to the clothing. Instead of the short hair he once had, Huojin's hair had grown to a medium length, disheveled, messy, and an even darker brown.

It was true. He was getting older.

"Thanks for the duck, Ogotai!" Huojin quickly bowed, and ran out the kitchen.

Shaking his head, Ogotai couldn't help but to chuckle, and he remembered the other family he worked for.

"I should've kept my job back in the city," he complained, "At least Varrick appreciated my cooking skills..."

《》

The Ou-yang Family's garden was once a dead one, filled to the brim with dead plants and angered spirits. Wu-sheng managed to get to it in time, and the garden thrived once more. It was much like the old one in Tsangpo, but spirits of all sizes absolutely **loved** the fountain.

Wu-sheng and Shouwei, his former spirit, sat at a small table, enjoying tea as they both played Pai Sho. The airbender's appearance had changed greatly. His beard was completely silver, but his head was still void of any hair whatsoever. Shouwei, however, remained the same, but he had grown a third, shorter horn near his chin. They were both stuck, trying to figure out their strategies.

"It is your move, my friend," said Wu-sheng, "Do they teach this to you in the Spirit World?"

 _ **"Pai Sho was invented by the spirits. Avatar Wan seemed to dislike the 'slowness' to the game,"**_ Shouwei chuckled, baring his sharp canines, **_"How is your student? Has he mastered the elements yet?"_**

"No, not yet. Earth and Fire are the only elements he's learned. He's weak when it comes to waterbending, and he isn't even _close_ to mastering airbending," Wu-sheng sighed, "Maybe sending him to Republic City would be better for him. I know a few people who would be glad to help."

 ** _"Do not put the weight of your problems onto someone else. I know that from experience,"_** Shouwei advised, **_"I sense the boy will make his own choice in this matter, but not a choice that would affect his way of life. He has... matured somewhat."_**

"Ha! Matured? Huojin is still the little troublemaker he was 14 years ago!" Wu-sheng burst into laughter, "Where have you been for the past decade? Asleep?!"

"No," said Shouwei, "While you continue to use your lungs for something useful, I have already made my move."

Wu-sheng ceased his laughter, looking down at the Pai Sho board. Indeed, Shouwei had already made his move, and Wu-sheng had lost in only **30 moves**. Shouwei smiled, his tail wrapping around his right arm.

 ** _"I should leave. Iroh serves his tea at this time of the day,"_** Shouwei stood up, his head almost stuck in the cherry blossom tree, ** _"Be careful, Wu-sheng. I can also sense a strange aura in the distance. I have not felt something like this in years, and I do hope Zaheer has long passed since then. Keep one eye open for tonight_** ," he began to turn into burning embers, _**"Do not hesitate to kill dark spirits."**_ He disappeared.

In his mind, Wu-sheng protested. He was an airbender! He couldn't even think of killing anyone! And Zaheer..? There was no possible way he was still alive. It was a known fact that he had died years ago, along with others of the Red Lotus. P'Li was dead, but Ghazan and Ming-Hua were never found. As an honorary White Lotus member, Wu-sheng promised to protect Huojin, and he was _not_ going to let anything happen to him. Huojin was like his own son.

"Wu-sheng," one of the White Lotus members stood near the fountain, clad in the traditional uniform, "We need to talk."

《》

The boathouse was Huojin's 'second room'. Luckily for him, nobody managed to decipher the code for the lock, but Ujurak never seemed to give up. Every other week, he'd come back to try and get into the boathouse, and always left with no success. He and Huojin may have played a few pranks on Ogotai, but that didn't mean Ujurak would keep a secret from the rest of the Ou-yang family.

Huojin was building a raft. One that would get him all the way to Republic City.

The raft was similar to a Southern Water Tribe boat. Not to small, not to big, and it was lightweight. Huojin had been making plans to leave since he was 12, the many rumors and stories of the Republic City- a bustling city filled with life and action- becoming stuck in his head. He packed some of his clothes and personal items already, stored the food he took from the kitchen, and even bought a Bison whistle. He wasn't going to leave Khenpo! _**Especially** _ when Ogotai had mentioned making 'exotic meals' in the future.

Huojin nailed the last wooden board into place, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Khenpo, the only one allowed in the boathouse, nudged Huojin, curious of what he was doing.

"I think I'm done re-building this, Khenpo," said Huojin, "Soon, we'll be in the big city, and you can eat all the food you want. Sound good?"

Khenpo replied with only a low, guttural groan of approval. It was a Bison's way of communication; high-pitched whines meant that one was injured, and roars of defiance often meant aggression.

"We're gonna leave at nightfall. It's supposed to be a clear night tonight, and I doubt if anyone is gonna catch us leaving. So, if I were you, I'd eat as much as I could, and keep this a secret," Huojin spoke to Khenpo, "...Nod if you understand me."

Khenpo nodded.

"Good boy," Huojin laughed, ruffling the fur on his companion's head, "Go back to uh... whatever you were doing."

The Bison turned around, heading back to the corner he usually slept in. Khenpo stuck his head into a giant pile of wheat, as if he was searching for something he had lost. He had not lost anything, but he did hide the item from everyone. In his mouth was a Bison saddle, years of wear and tear visible on the material. Bags were still tied onto it, and Huojin had his eyes on the object hanging from the first pouch.

He went over to the saddle, and let Khenpo drop it into his arms. A sword fell out of the pouch, and lodged itself in the wooden floor. By the looks of it, it was an ancient weapon. The obsidian blade was clean of any dirt, reflecting the sunlight that shined down onto it. Huojin immediately recognized the White Lotus symbol on the knob of the handle, and began to wonder if the sword belonged to one of his teachers.

"There's no way Wu-sheng would keep something like this," Huojin spoke to himself, "Is this even his saddle?"

He put the sword back in the pouch, making sure it wouldn't fall out again. Placing the saddle on Khenpo's back, Huojin adjusted the straps, careful not to break the withering leather. Huojin was going to tie a rope to the boat, and Khenpo would be on the other end of it. If the boat ever fell apart in a storm, Khenpo would be his backup, and things would go as Huojin had planned.

Would things go as planned? What was going to happen to him? Would he ever make it to the city? Huojin's mind was suddenly filled with stress-causing thoughts, barely able to think for himself. He paced back and forth, and began to mentally question his decision. _What if mom needs me?_ He thought to himself, _I can't just leave her all alone._ He sat himself down on the floor, taking a couple of deep breaths. At this point, he'd usually connect to the Spirit World, to uis previous lives. Although, his connection with Raava was somewhat damaged. He couldn't explain it, and the White Lotus made every attempt to fix this issue.

Nothing has worked.

"I need guidance," said Huojin, his eyes beginning to glow.

Everything around him disappeared. Huojin found himself in what seemed like another world, an area that reminded him of a great forest. He sat in the middle of a clearing, the symbol of the Air Nation carved into the earth under him.

"You asked for guidance, yes?"

Huojin heard the voice, and nodded. "Yeah, I did," he replied, "Never thought I'd see you in my lifetime, Aang."

A young, mid-50's Aang smiled, letting out a soft chuckle. "It's nice to meet you, Huojin," he greeted, "I'm sure you already know about your other past lives, am I correct? I'm not trying to be rude, but if I may ask... why did you need my guidance?"

"I... I'm already starting to regret I choice I might make," Huojin admitted, "I want to leave Piao Li. I want to make my own choices for once, and Republic City is where I want to go. What if something happens to my family? I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me?"

"Ah, I see..." Aang murmured, "I remember when I was your age, Huojin. As the Avatar, I made choices that I regretted decades later. But, I had to forgive myself for what I had done. You, however, are not me. We may be two different people, but our lives are still connected," said Aang, "If you leave now, the path you walk will become clouded. You may have allies, but enemies lurk in the most unexpected of places. What you're about to do will not just affect you, but it will affect everyone you know."

Aang began to disappear, and the world around Huojin soon began to vanish.

"Think before you act," Aang spoke, "Don't follow the path of darkness."

He and the other world were gone.

In the blink of an eye, Huojin was back in the boathouse, face down on the wooden floor. Khenpo nudged at the seemingly lifeless body, wondering what had happened to his young companion. He let out a few worried grunts, and continuously nudged Huojin's side. The young man sat up, and felt as if his body was drained of all life. He knew the risks to speaking to his past lives, but he ignored the warnings from Temujin, one of the White Lotus Members.

If Huojin ever decided to speak to the more ancient Avatars- Kyoshi, Roku, Yangchen, or even Wan- then there was a chance that Huojin permanently lose his connection with the Spirit World. The problem first started with Korra. She almost became the last Avatar thanks to Vaatu, and her connection with Raava was nearly severed. Huojin almost thought that this would hinder his bending abilities, but there were no other problems... yet.

"It's okay, boy," groaned Huojin, "I'm not dead..."

He gently wrapped his arms around Khenpo's right horn, and pulled himself up. Huojin looked through the window, and saw that the sun was already starting to go down. The crows had already began to roost in the boathouse, the ocean waves became calmer, and the orange glow of the sun filled the boathouse. In a few hours, Huojin needed to leave while he still could, but what Aang had told him still lingered through his mind.

 _"Think before you act._ _Don't follow the path of darkness."_

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _Blame finals for this update being so late._

 _I am **so** sorry, guys._

 _Hey, it's Karmaisms. Again, I apologize for not being active lately! I had finals. **Finals**. It was brutal, and I was **this** close to failing math. Fortunately, I didn't! Just 3 more years of school, and I am done!_

 _Anyway, the SYOC is now CLOSED! I have all the OCs I need, and I didn't reply to a few people for one reason: to make it a surprise for them! Here are the accepted OCs:_

 **TEAM AVATAR**  
Jiang Asano  
Catori-Elu  
Tonrar Kinapak  
Aomame Okada  
Xiao-Chen  
Norbu  
Shen  
Ilio

 **MINOR CHARACTERS**  
Maho Yuuhi  
Yisun Saihan  
Anana  
Kazuto Izaki  
Fei

 _And there are a few other things you guys should know, too!_

 _ **-** Yes, the Pro Bending League allows Airbenders, and has changed the rules to allow Airbending as one of the four main styles. All and any substyles of bending are strictly prohibited._

 _ **-** Remember how the times progressed in ATLA and TLoK? The Legend of Korra was in an era similar to the days of Prohobition/1930's, so this story takes place in the Pre-World War II/1940's era. Oh, I bet you can already sense the foreshadowing, can't you?_

 _I swear, I'll start updating more frequently! My schedule is all cleared up thanks to two things: the Oscar Boycott, and the cancellation (thank god) of my Dental appointment. There is no way I am watching an awards show with **no diversity.** DiMartino and Konietzko know more when it comes to that subject! And if you're an Avatar fan, you'd understand that, too. _

_Enjoy 2016, everyone! And don't worry, the summertime will be here soon enough!_ _And good luck to those in California. El Nino was **brutal**._

 _Goodnight (or Good Morning in some countries), guys!_

 ** _-Karmaisms._**


	3. Two: Real Life to Radio

**T** he Red Light District of Republic City was stuck between popularity and infamy, mostly leaning towards infamy. While it was known for its bars and exclusive clubs, it was almost home to many Triads as well, all known for their blackmailing and ruthlessness. The Triple Threat Triad, the _Tora No Sume_ Triad, and the Roku Triad were just a few, and their numbers were growing. Those who lived within the Red Light District payed no attention to the illegal activities, as if nothing suspicious had ever occurred in the first place. But, no matter how much they tried, they could not avoid the questioning of the Police. Ever since the Republic City Police went through an extreme reformation in the last few years, **nobody** could avoid the Police.

Boss Oyama, leader of the Roku District Triad, sat impatiently in the barber chair. He watched carefully as Mr. Gensai, the owner of the Barber Shop, trimmed his hair. It was obvious that Mr. Gensai was nervous, and even Oyama could see his old, wrinkled hands beginning to shake.

"Is something wrong?" Oyama questioned, cocking an eyebrow. "I have an appointment in an hour, Mr. Gensai. Don't make me late."

"Ah, s'nothin'. I'm jus' nervous 'bout th'game t'night," said Mr. Gensai. "Did 'ya hear 'bout it? The Bai-Luo Bisons versus The Fire Ferrets. Got m'money on the Bisons."

"I pay no attention to Pro Bending, especially when they split them into multiple games," said Oyama. " _ **Just hurry up**_."

"Don't worry, Boss Oyama. Gon' make sure you're five minutes early, too!" Mr. Gensai chuckled. "Want me t'add the gel?"

"No," Oyama groaned. "Just leave it as it is."

Mr. Gensai nodded, setting the razor blade on the counter-top. He handed a mirror over to Oyama, letting him see the end result of the work. The sides of Oyama's head had been shaven, and the rest of the hair had been combed back, tied into a topknot.

"Well, you've managed to impress me once again, Mr. Gensai," Oyama grinned. "And not a single cut on my head, either? Somebody remembered to use a sharpened blade."

"I may be old, but I ain't like other barbers!" said the older man, rather proud of his work. "If y'want, I can trim your mustache, too!"

"Thank you for the offer, but I'd rather keep this as well," Oyama replied, scratching at the facial hair that rested above his lip. Along with the mirror, he gave him a handful of yuans. The barber, happy to finally receive his pay, unwrapped the cloth around Oyama's neck, allowing him to leave the shop.

"Such a nice young fella," Mr. Gensai spoke to himself. "Jus' hope he doesn't get into any trouble anytime soon..."

 **《** **》**

Dozens of undercover Police officers were hidden in plain sight, blending in with the citizens around them. _Plainclothes_ , they were called, and searching for these officers was a near impossible task for those with a bad eye.

This was, indeed, a stakeout, one that would possibly turn into a major bust, or even just a simple, minor one. While the metalbending officers remained on the rooftops, those with the inability to bend any element remained on the ground, readying themselves for the signal that was to be given.

A single truck came around the corner, large crates tightly secured in the back. Turning into a darkened alleyway, it disappeared from sight. Inside the truck, Boss Oyama sat in the passenger's seat, letting his new recruit sit behind the wheel.

"Stop right here, Norbu," said Oyama. "You've done enough for today. Go home; stay out of the district for a while. Maybe you'll find the courage to find a girl to keep you company."

The green-eyed boy gulped, somewhat afraid to even speak.

"Y-Yes, Boss Oyama," he stuttered, voice lowered.

Norbu exited the car, and Oyama followed suit, watching as the young man went the opposite way, leaving the alleyway behind. Little did they, the Triad members, or the workers know about the Police that surrounded them, unaware of the impending bust.

"B-Boss Oyama?! You're here already?" Oyama's tailor, Kohaku, ran towards him, "You could have at least announced this! I would have brought you a newer tie!"

"I woke up earlier than usual, Kohaku. And when I wake up _without_ a woman to greet me, I get back to business," Oyama groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I... I assumed you were—"

"What? Visiting with somebody? I have no children, let alone a spouse. Spirits, Kohaku, why would I visit anybody on a _weekday?"_ the firebender questioned, staring right through the tailor. "Get out of my sight, tailor. I'd rather not hear your commentary during my meeting."

Kohaku, with his arms crossed, went past Oyama, the smaller man mumbling incoherently.

Boss Oyama continued down the hall, shoes clicking against the floor. Some days, like this day, Oyama could become a bit... _grumpy_. With the responsibility of being a Triad leader, came the stress, and with the stress came the frustration. Oyama sensed that the Police were suspicious of his activities, and bribing them to keep quiet was no easy task, especially when said police worked under a no-nonsense chief.

 _If the Police Chief wasn't so stubborn_ , Oyama thought, _things would be easier_.

At the end of the hall were two large, blood red doors. The guards that stood watch took the handles, opening the doors, allowing Oyama to enter. The main meeting room itself wasn't extravagant, but it was comfortable for most. Behind the blackened, polished table was a single chair, gloved hands resting at each side of the seat.

"I'm here, Boss Basotei," Oyama spoke up, walking towards the desk. He noticed that something was 'off' with this meeting. Oyama came to a halt, noticing the tiny pieces of metal on the floor. Everyone knew that Boss Basotei was a firebender, not a metalbender.

This was, as Oyama suspected, a _**trap.**_

"Good to see you're still breathing," said Oyama, hands placed behind his back. "I'm guessing that Norbu couldn't keep his mouth shut, am I right? You didn't want to see your favorite nephew get hurt, didn't you, _**Mako?**_ "

Mako came out from behind the chair, cuts and bruises visible on his face. After almost 30 years, he, like everyone else, had aged. The graying hair was just one factor of stress, but it was his bloodshot eyes that added to the mounting evidence that he had been overworking himself.

"What's this? You're wearing an actual uniform this time?" Oyama asked, curiosity in his tone of voice. "You're no metalbender, Mako. Everyone knows that."

"I'm guessing you haven't heard the news, Boss Oyama," Mako spoke, "It's a requirement for a chief to wear a uniform."

"You? A _Chief_? The last time I checked, you were a mere Lieutenant," Oyama spoke, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"I got promoted," said Mako. "And I put your case at the top of my priorities."

Oyama felt the hairs on his neck become electrified, and he _knew_ the Police Chief was stalling him.

 **Now** was a good time to _**run.**_

Before the trap could be sprung, Oyama took a deep breath, and let out a barrage of flames from his mouth. Mako leaped back, redirecting the fire towards Oyama. Unfortunately, it was too late. The boss had disappeared through a hole in the floor.

Mako followed, jumping down into the hole. Landing on the concrete, he ran after Oyama, who had already made it outside the warehouse. Unhooking the small microphone from his back, Mako activated the portable radio, tuning it to the frequency of his undercover officers.

"Units Ten to Five, this is the Chief! Boss Oyama has exited the building on foot! I repeat, Oyama has left the building!" He shouted into the radio receiver. "All other units, raid the warehouse!"

 _"On it, Chief!"_ One of the officers responded.

Soon, the chirping of birds were soon drowned out by sirens and engines. This alarmed most of the Triad members in the warehouse, and they made every attempt to run. Their attempts were thwarted by the Republic City Police. From the plainclothes that remained on the streets, to the Metalbending Unit, almost everyone from Headquarters had arrived, eager to add a few arrests to their nearly empty files.

"You won't get away, Oyama!" Mako screamed, continuing to run after his suspect. "Face it! You're going to go to jail!"

"Not today, I'm not!" Oyama shouted back, turning into an apartment courtyard. Bewildered civilians and young children ceased their activities, running back to their secured lofts. Hiding behind a statue, Oyama hoped to avoid capture, and with each deep breath, he prepared himself for what he assumed would be a short confrontation.

Mako was cautious, unsure if this part of the area belonged to the Roku District Triad. Even though he was a veteran officer, not to mention _**Chief**_ of the Police, situations such as this could become dangerous. Not just for him, but for whoever happened to be in the wrong place, _at the wrong time_.

He readied himself, breathing in and out through his nose. Mako could see teenagers and young toddlers watching from the upper floors, but he made no attempt to coerce them to stay inside, knowing they wouldn't listen well to him.

"I warned you, Mako..." Oyama's voice resonated throughout the courtyard, "...You should have dropped the case..!"

He jumped out from behind the statue, sending a line of lightning towards Mako. For Mako, it happened in slow motion. This was a split second choice, and he only had _two_ options: Redirect the lightning, thus possibly killing Oyama. _Or..._ dodge the lightning, distract Oyama, **and** keep him alive.

Even though Mako wanted to use the first option, the second option would have to do.

In an instant, he stepped to the side, avoiding which could have been _**death**. _ Oyama blinked only once, and Mako had ran up to him, knocking the boss down to the ground.

"Keizo Oyama, you're under arrest!" Mako cuffed Oya- well, **_Keizo_** , and forced him to stand up.

"That's Boss Oyama to you, slob!" Keizo growled, only to receive a kick to the stomach.

"You're going to be in solitary confinement for a long time, Keizo," said Mako, dragging Keizo along like an animal. "Your days as Boss Oyama are **over.** "

"We'll see about that, _Chief,_ " murmured Keizo. "I'll be out before you can even lay a finger on your reports."

 **《** **》**

 _"In other news, Boss Oyama has been apprehended!"_ The radio boomed throughout Huojin's room, " _Over 100 triad members, most from the Roku District Triad, have been jailed as well! From smuggled exotic animals, to priceless artifacts, everything has been searched and seized from the clutches of Boss Oyama and his operation! Coming up, it's the match everyone has been waiting for! The very first Pro Bending Team of the Air Nation- The Bai-Luo Bisons- are going against the #1 team in the Pro Bending League- The Fire Ferrets! Stay tuned! Whoever wins this match, **will** advance to the **Golden Tiger Brawl!** We hope you got your tickets, folks, or else you'll be missing out on the tournament of the century!"_

Huojin turned the radio off, and placed it inside a burlap sack. He had packed most of his things, only leaving a few of his belongings behind. He sat on the edge of his bed, rethinking his possible fate-changing decision. He knew that his family, his teachers, and the spirits were all trying to help him, but Huojin wanted to learn _more_ than he was actually being taught. Not only that, but the thrilling stories of Republic City fueled his curiosity.

Huojin stared at the small statue of Shouwei, which was placed underneath the window. Huojin shot small flames at the sticks of incense, watching as the smoke rose from the burning tips.

"What should I do..?" Huojin questioned both himself and the statue, hoping that the spirit would respond to him. "I'm leaving, Shouwei. I might not come back to Piao Li for months, maybe _years_. Just... watch over my family, will you? Mom can't get around like she used to, Dad is gone, and... well... Wu is getting old."

The stone eyes of the statue flickered, but Huojin had failed to see that the spirit was _actually_ listening to him.

"I guess this is the last time we see each other again, Shouwei," said Huojin, getting up from the bed. "Goodbye, spirit."

Huojin grabbed his bags, slinging them over his shoulder. Looking around his room one last time, he went towards the door frame, remembering all the times he had stubbed his toes thanks to the sliding doors. He turned, and left his room, silence soon substituted with the chirping of crickets. The statue of Shouwei seemed to glow, as if his spirit was trying to reach Huojin.

Ah, but it was too late.

The Avatar had left, and there was no chance of him _ever_ returning to Piao Li.

 **《** **》**

Khenpo helped pull the boat out of the boathouse, tugging at the mooring line. Huojin pushed the small craft into the water, making sure it wouldn't drift away. Most of his things, including a small cot and a teapot, were all placed inside the hull. Closing the boathouse doors, Huojin pressed his head against the wood, urging himself not to cry. Khenpo nudged at Huojin, encouraging him to move on.

"I know, Khenpo, I know," said Huojin, turning to face the bison, "C'mon, let's go."

Huojin went over to the boat, pushing it into the water. Using an earth pillar, it launched him off the shore, and into the boat. Khenpo followed, walking into the cold ocean water. The winds pushed against the sails, and the boat slowly moved forward. Huojin, tempted to look back at his home, kept his eyes on the never ending sea ahead of him. In his head, Huojin remembered the map of the nations. His first stop would be the edge of the Hei Bai's Forest, after that, the next few stops would be Harbor Town, Yu Dao, and hopefully, _just hopefully_ , he'd get a few lessons at the Beifong Metalbending Academy.

He sat near the front of the boat, and watched as the moon appeared from behind the clouds.

 **《** **》**

Chu-hua, Huojin's grandmother, woke up with a gasp, as if she had awaken from a terrible nightmare. It was no nightmare, but a glimpse of the action her grandson had finally committed. The elder became worried, and immediately she got up from her bed. Not even bothering to slip into her sandals, Chu-hua ran out of her bedroom, into the courtyard, and straight into Wu-sheng's room.

"Huojin is gone!" She screamed, "Wake up, Wu-sheng! My grandson is gone!"

Wu-sheng's attention was taken away from his bowl of soup, and it only took him seconds to realize what was happening. He followed Chu-hua to warn the others, their fear-filled shouts echoing throughout the air. Spirits small and large fled the garden, spreading the news of the Avatar's disappearance to others of their kind. The White Lotus were also told of the news, their biggest fears becoming true.

 _ **"The Avatar has disappeared,"**_ the news began to spread like wildfire, _**"The lives of all spirits and humans are in his hands. Without him, the Red Lotus will grow more powerful than ever before. Nobody, not even the Heavenly Guardians, are safe."**_


	4. Three: Gangkou

Sweeping junk off the side of the manor, a janitor let out a sigh of annoyance, turtle ducks continuing to pester him. Gong-sun, the owner of the large home, often allowed his pets to roam free. Fire Ferrets, Brown Bear Dogs, Gorilla Goats, it was as if Gong-sun's home was a zoo! Of course, being the mayor of Gangkou—a town on the edge of Hei Bai's Forest— could be very stressful most of the time, and the company of animals could reduce stress greatly.

Gong-sun's prized Brown Bear Dog, Zhuazi, followed a scent outside the manor walls. For any other human, the smell would be rather rancid. For him, however, it smelled of Catgator and Elbow Leech. He buried his nose in the dirt, dug up plants, but the scent weakened as he lingered near the manor.

Zhuazi wandered towards Gangkou Town, startling the people he pushed past. His nostrils were bombarded by the smells of mouth-watering food, tempting him to stray off the path he was on. Simply shaking his head, Zhuazi continued to follow the scent.

Lifting his ears, the sound of the Zhongruan caught his attention, echoing from the Scholar's Garden. The scent came from there as well, and Zhuazi knew where to go next.

Going over to the large, terracotta walls of the garden, he dug under the dirt, sucking in his belly just to crawl through the opening. Finally, he was able to enter, and he shook the dirt from his fur. Next to him, a scholar of the Fire Nation was covered in the dirt, disgusted by the Brown Bear Dog.

Zhuazi didn't seem to care, completely ignoring the scholar. The Zhongruan's tune became louder and louder, and Zhuazi was in a trance thanks to the mesmerizing chords.

Surrounded by tiny, orange, mushroom-capped spirits, a young man sat under the Amber Elm tree, plucking at the strings of the Zhongruan. His pocket was stuffed with a small bag of food; Crayfish-slug meat, to be exact. The bags, however, were made of Catgator skin, and the smell from the skin still lingered.

The Zhongruan player was a young man; a member of the Swamp Tribe. His water-soaked hair was brown, messily tied into a ponytail. His facial hair was a rather bit wispy- not to mention it was also a lighter shade of brown- but not exactly an orange color, either. His moss-colored knee-length pants, vest, and sandals were drenched as well, looking more like the color of mud, not moss. Around his neck, a polished, egg-sized piece of amber was attached to a leather cord. Inside it, a tiny dragonfly remained preserved in the hardened mineral.

"Wha-hey!" The young man was startled by Zhuazi. "That's my food! Ya' can't take it from me!"

Zhuazi, with the bag in his maw, dropped it into the water, and his ears pressed against his head in regret.

"You're hungry too? I know how ya' feel," said the traveler. "Go on, take it. Ya' need it more than I do."

Lifting his ears and tail, Zhuazi grabbed the bag, burying his nose in the food. Soon, his wet fur began to smell like meat. He looked at the Zhongruan player, wondering if he had anymore food with him.

"That was all I had, boy! It's not like I'm gonna pull food from behind my ear! My Grandmamma is the only one who can do that!" He chuckled. "You one of Gong-sun's animals or somethin'?"

"... _Aroooowaorooo_..." Zhuazi tried to speak, only to let out what sounded like a growl-howl. "... _Rawoaooraaoooo_..."

"I don't speak Bear Dog language, boy," said the young man. "But, I'll take that as a yes. C'mon, let's get ya' back to Gong-sun."

 **《** **》**

For Huojin, it felt good to walk on land again. He set up a small hammock between two stalks of bamboo, high up from the leaf-covered ground. From there, he could watch the cove, making sure no one would try to steal his boat. Huojin watched as Khenpo relaxed in the cool waters, washing off the dirt and debris from his fur.

Below, a Giant Panda pushed against the bamboo stalks, wondering what could've added weight to the stalks. This Panda, unlike the others, was much bigger in size. He could've been bigger that Khenpo, but it was hard for Huojin to tell.

"Hei Bai!" Huojin shouted. "Is that really you?"

The Panda looked up, tongue hanging out of his mouth. The Spirit stood up on his hind feet, and waved at Huojin, recognizing the Avatar. Hei Bai remembered the young man as Avatar Aang, not Huojin, but the Panda was quite forgetful sometimes.

 _ **"Hello, Avatar!"**_ Hei Bai spoke. _**"I see you're in good health!"**_

"Of course I am! I've the Avatar!" Huojin laughed, hopping down from the hammock. "Do you know where I can find food around here? I've been eating fish for days!"

Hei Bai, using his giant paw, pointed to the left. **_"Gangkou is that way, friend. There's plenty of food there."_**

"Thanks, Hei Bai," said Huojin. "Hey, Hei Bai, you wouldn't happen to know the quickest route to Republic City, would you? I'm kind of in a hurry. There's a **monster** storm heading this way, and I'm not gonna freeze myself to survive, either."

 ** _"You don't want to end up like Avatar Aang, hm?"_** Hei Bai chuckled, looking down at the human. _**"If you were to venture near the river, you should take the Crescent Waterway. It is a rather easy route, and it leads straight to Yue Bay. If you wish to travel by land, I'd suggest taking the Feixing Path. It doesn't exactly lead to Republic City, but switching over to the Shanyao Path should fix that."**_

"How do you know all of this, Hei Bai? I never knew you traveled!" Huojin was bold, unafraid to speak up.

 _ **"This may be my forest, but I do travel,"**_ Hei Bai sighed. _**"If you ever find yourself in Taka-sa, come and visit me! I'm planning to vacation there in a few days, and humans are welcome as well."**_

"I'll consider it, Hei Bai," Huojin agreed. "I guess I'll see you later, right?"

 _ **"We shall see each other soon enough,"**_ Hei Bai assured. _**"Good luck on your adventure, Avatar."**_

He planted his paws back onto the ground, and left Huojin. Even as an ancient spirit, Hei Bai often enjoyed visiting with other spirits.

Taka-sa was a place for both humans and spirits; a city built and inspired by the 'floating town' of Jang Hui. Huojin had never heard of Taka-sa, let alone seen a single picture of the place. In his mind, he could only imagine what it looked like.

 _Maybe it's by the ocean_ , he thought. _I'll go there after settling in Republic City_.

 **《** **》**

A herd of Sky Bison made its way across the forest, flying above the trees and remnants of Fire Lord Ozai's rule. Thanks to a string of laws against poaching, Bison were allowed to roam **_wherever_** they wanted. Although, one Bison looked a bit... out of place in the herd. A saddle was placed on its back, and its horns were dulled, capped with carved, wooden adornments.

Two people hid under a small, orange, makeshift canopy, and the other members of the herd had failed to see the **intruders** among them.

"This **won't** work at all!" one voice complained, only to be shushed by the other.

"Come on, Tenzin, this is going to work!" The other voice giggled. "This is just a small.. vacation! Mom thinks we're still on the island, and Dad probably won't notice for another day!"

"Ilio, did you forget about _Grandfather_? He's going to find out about this!"

"We'll be back by tomorrow!"

"No, _**we won't!**_ "

As Ilio and Tenzin's arguing persisted, their Bison dove down towards the ground, hoping to stop the two. Landing in a small clearing, the Bison shook the two off its back, causing them to fall to the ground.

" _ **Righty!**_ " Ilio groaned. "Great... now she's upset..."

"Well, we can't blame Lefty for that, can we?" Tenzin spoke, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Ilio, unlike her brother, was a bit short when it came to height. Her hair was a dark brown, reaching halfway past her back. Her skin was a bit tanned, similar to her brother's light russet skin. Her eyes were a vibrant green, sparkling under the sunlight. From light orange, to a scarlet red, she wore clothes only found in Republic City and the Air Nation. Under the orange sash over her left shoulder, she wore a sleeveless white shirt, one that was a bit frayed at the edges. Her pants were a pale orange color, but the back part was brick red, much different from the typical style of pants that Airbenders wore, and they were tucked into her light brown boots.

Ilio was no Earthbender, but she was of the Air Nation, just like her mother, Jinora. Although, she looked more like her father, Kai.

Tenzin—named after his grandfather— looked much different than his sister. His head was completely shaven, void of any and all hair. His eyes were a light hazel, and there were a few hints of viridian. He was somewhat taller than Ilio, only by a few inches or so. Tenzin was shirtless, only wearing two sashes over his right shoulder; one was red, while the other was a muted orange. He wore the same pants and shoes that Ilio wore, but a folding glider was clipped to his side.

"I should've went with Uncle Meelo," Tenzin sighed, sitting down on the grass. "Why are we out here anyway? I thought you wanted to see the Airbending School?"

"Not just any school!" Ilio pulled a scroll out of her pocket, unrolling and showing it to her older brother. "This is the Golden Bison Airbending Academy! Grand Master Tsong-Kapa oversees the students, and they trained the Bai-Luo Bisons, too!"

On the gold-painted scroll was an image of a Sky Bison, and the emblem of the Air Nation had been stamped in the corner of the scroll.

"That's all the way near the Patola Mountains, Ilio," he scoffed. "We'll never make it there in time."

"Training starts in the fall, Tenzin," Ilio let out a long sigh. "I'll be out of school by then! I can move in with Uncle Meelo! He... still lives in Kangxi, right?" Ilio laughed nervously, forgetting where her uncle lived. "Maybe I should just rent a place in Cha-"

Before Ilio could say another word, another Bison came charging out of the trees, causing the ground to rattle and shake. He charged at Righty, head colliding with the younger Bison's body. Righty defended herself, using her tail to strike a blow to her attacker's body. The two Bison locked horns, one trying to push the other over.

"Khenpo! _**Stop!**_ " A voice screamed. " ** _Calm down!_** "

Khenpo ceased his attack, looking back at the trees. Huojin ran out of the thick brush of the forest, going after his runaway companion. Khenpo, being the aggressive but calm animal he was, helped Righty onto all six of his feet. Righty playfully nudged at the older Bison, hoping they wouldn't have to fight again.

"Sorry about that!" Huojin apologized to the siblings. "I didn't know Khenpo would react like that! He hasn't exactly been around another Bison in years..."

"Hey, don't worry about it!" Ilio smiled, putting her hands behind her back. "Hey, you don't look like any Airbender that I've seen... where _are_ you from?"

"The City of Piao Li," said Huojin, unafraid to speak the truth. "It's a few hours away from here. Not far from the Great Swamp, either. You two from the Air Nation?"

"Tsangpo. It's in the Valley of Charwa," Ilio replied. "I'm Ilio, and _baldy_ here is Tenzin Jr., but everyone just calls him Tenzin."

Tenzin simply grinned, arms crossed over his chest. "Master Wu-sheng would be mad at us right now," he mumbled. "Talking to strangers isn't exactly a good thing to do, Ilio."

The name _Wu-sheng_ was one Huojin could **never** forget, no matter how hard he tried. The man had taught him almost everything! Airbender, however, wasn't one of them.

"Did you say _Master_ Wu-sheng?" Huojin questioned, arms falling to his sides. "How long are you two planning to stay in this area?"

 **《** **》**

"...And that's how I got into Pro-Bending," Ilio finished her story, sitting on the sand of the cove. "Tenzin is more into reading than having fun. He thinks that 'fun' is a bad word."

The older brother glared. "That is not true! I like to have fun, too!" He jumped down from the top of a boulder, using a small gust of wind to soften his fall. "Pro-Bending is too dangerous. Do you two know how many people have gotten injured?"

"Oh yeah?" Huojin challenged Tenzin, "Name them!"

"Saburo Serizawa of the Fire Capital Caracals, Tuma Ulujuk of the Southern Seal Penguins, and Daksapati Kosuri of the Ba Sing Se Badger Bears are just a few." Tenzin explained. "Should I tell you what happened to the Fire Ferrets old captain? Bolin shattered his pelvis in Round 4 of a match, and his season _and_ career were over. What if _that_ happened to you, Ilio?"

"Everyone knows the game was rigged, Tenzin! Uncle Bolin was hurt intentionally!" Ilio growled.

"Wasn't that the Twin Dragon Tournament? I remember listening to that when I was six!" Huojin smiled, remembering the times of when he was younger. "Round 4, right? Bolin was hit with two earth disks in the right hip, Ebizo from the Wolf Bats earned a 10 year suspension, and the Fire Ferrets won the Tournament after that."

"Yes, but did they tell you what _happened_ to Bolin?" Tenzin raised an eyebrow, "He was lucky to have been able to walk again. He's retired now, _and_ —"

"—He's the chairman of the Pro Bending League," Ilio couldn't help to say it. "Cousin Norbu is with the Fire Ferrets as a... how do I say this... he's... the water boy. Nobody, not even Uncle Bolin and Aunt Opal, knows if he's a bender or not. He could be a non-bender, but he _does_ has Earthbending hands. Kind of like yours, Huojin."

Huojin looked at his hands, noticing the shape of his palms. "Yeah, I kinda do... I guess. Never really thought of it before," he admitted. "So, what's it like for you guys? Being Airbenders and all?"

Ilio and Tenzin exchanged looks, and then diverted their attention back to Huojin.

"The Air Nation has had a tough time, and a few million of us isn't exactly enough," said Tenzin. "In the days of The Hundred Year War, the Air Nomads were nearly wiped out; almost erased from history. Our Great-Grandfather was the last airbender, and Appa was the only Sky Bison left in the world. If it wasn't for him and his friends, we wouldn't even be here."

"Long story short— a lot of people, especially in the Fire Nation, still hate us. Equalists and Ozai-Loyalists have been harassing us for years without end, but we get a lot of support from the Northern and Southern Water Tribes," Ilio elaborated. "We can thank Great-Grandma Katara for that. Even at 100 and something years old, she knows more than anyone on the planet."

"I thought everyone involved in the Hundred Year War was dead?" Huojin questioned.

"Not Great-Grandma, that's for sure. Spirit Water can really help you in the long run, and it's definitely helped her. She may not be able to walk anymore, but that doesn't mean she's helpless. She still misses Aang, though. But when Korra died, things were just even worse for her," Ilio's tone completely changed. "Meeting the new Avatar would cheer her up, you know? Grandpa has spent 18 years looking for them, too."

"18 years, huh?" Huojin asked. "That's a long time for anyone."

Huojin wanted to tell them he was the Avatar, he **needed** to tell them. Unfortunately, it was a secret the he needed to keep to himself. But, even he knew that secrets were always bound to get out, so his identity wouldn't be hidden for long.

"Looks like the sun's going down," said Huojin. "I got some lettuce wraps and rice if you guys are hungry. You two are vegetarian, right?"

"I am, _she's_ not," Tenzin pointed at Ilio. "Meat-eater," he joked.

"Lettuce-munching Rabaroo," Ilio hissed back at him. "If you've got meat, I'll take it," she said to Huojin. "And get me a **giant** bottle of sweet and sour sauce."

 **《** **》**

Everyone in the cove camp had fallen asleep. The fire had gone out, Khenpo and Righty slept close to each other, and the boat drifted onto the sand. As the moonlight glistened on the water, mysterious bodies rose from the depths. Six of the strangers brandished weapons, swords and daggers commonly used by Fire Nation Military.

Khenpo's nose twitched, the stench of Baijiu and blood making his large stomach twist and turn. He got up, awakening a sleeping Righty as well. Before the shadow-blanketed figures could even step foot onto the sand, Khenpo roared, waking the entire camp.

"Wha- huh...?" Huojin wiped the drool from his mouth, throwing the blanket off his body. He shot a small dart of fire at a piece of wood, illuminating the cove. The three benders soon realized who the intruders were.

Pirates. They were all **pirates.**

"Get them! Break their bones if you have to!" One man yelled, ordering the rest of the crew to attack.

While Tenzin and Ilio defended themselves, Huojin went with the offensive style of earthbending, launching pirates into the air with pillars of hardened sand. Khenpo lifted his tail, and crushed one of the men, burying him in the ground. Ilio hit her enemies with a few powerful and amplified air kicks, but a knife was lodged in her left leg, cutting deep into the skin.

She collapsed on her side, letting out a slightly yelp of pain.

"Ilio!" Tenzin exclaimed, running over to his downed sister. "Are you alright?!"

"Tenzin, I'm fi- _**AGH!**_ " She felt the pain rush to her leg, blood gushing from between her hands. "I know you're thinking of leaving, but we can't! Huojin can't fight these guys by himself!"

They watched Huojin as he fought the pirates, sand and pillars of earth rising from the ground. At one point, he had been overwhelmed, held down by half of the crew. Fire came out of his mouth, as if he was a Dragon. Huojin surrounded the men in fire, and trapped them in a dome of sand, making sure they wouldn't escape so easily.

"Did he just...?" Ilio was astonished, but the shock could be seen in her eyes "...He can bend Earth and Fire?"

"He can't be..." Tenzin's eyes grew wide. "He's—"

" ** _It's the Avatar..!_** " A man screamed from inside the sand dome, "Let us go! We can leave! You don't have to harm us!"

Huojin lowered the dome, but kept the pirates trapped.

 _ **"If you so much as set a single foot in Gangkou, I will make sure you regret all you've ever done!** **"**_ Huojin threatened, his fury further fueled by Raava herself. _**"LEAVE!"**_

Taking a step back, his feet hit the ground, and a sand pillar catapulted the crew out of the cove. His eyes went back to the normal green they were, but something was noticeably wrong with Huojin.

In his mind, flickers and flashes of old memories— ones belonging to his past lives- rushed into his head. He gripped his chest, and fell back, his energy drained from his body once again.

"...Huojin..?" Tenzin's voice as muffled, and Huojin was on the brink of exhaustion.

"I'm... okay..." Huojin lied, his entire world spinning around him. "Just... a little tired..."

He walked over to check on Khenpo, taking slow and uneasy steps. Huojin may have been within 2 feet of the Bison, but he felt, too late to catch one of Khenpo's horns. In his back were five poison darts, and the toxins had already entered his blood stream. Huojin's eyelids felt like they had been sewn shut, and even trying to lift his arms would be **impossible.**

The muffled screams and shouts of Tenzin and Ilio soon became muted. _Silence_. Within the darkness, Huojin saw symbols and short visions. A man meditating in the spirit world, blood red paintings on the walls of a cave, the destruction of a United Forces fleet, and a city engulfed in flames.

 _These must be memories from Korra's life_ , Huojin thought, _it... can't be... can it?_

The visions stopped, and Huojin allowed himself to drift further into the void.

 **《** **》**

In Gangkou, the only place to be treated for wounds was Jy-ying's home. As a former medic in the United Forces, people trusted her with their lives, hoping they would recover from an illness or injury.

It was morning, and the sun began to rise. Jy-ying's house was nearly empty, two 'patients' sleeping in separate rooms. In one room, Ilio slept peacefully, her injured leg wrapped in bandages. Tenzin fell asleep in a chair, tired from watching over his sister. In the other room, Huojin remained unconscious. The poison darts were taken out of his skin, and set on the small table next to his futon.

 _ **"You shouldn't have ran away from your responsibilities,"** _ Shouwei spoke, sitting next to the futon. _**"Your family is worried sick for you, young Avatar. The High Council of Spirits... they are not happy with this."**_

Shouwei sighed, placing a hand on Huojin's head.

 _ **"Those pirates were assassins,"**_ said Shouwei. _**"The Red Lotus has found you, Huojin. Earth and Fire are not enough to stop them. The next step in your journey will be challenging, but mastering the elements of Air and Water is crucial in the defeat of the Red Lotus. They, however, are not your only enemies."**_

He paused, and continued to speak.

 ** _"Vaatu has returned,"_** Shouwei admitted. _**"As a spirit myself, I would return into hiding, but that will not help. Even if it means being corrupted by Vaatu, I will continue to watch over you, to guide you. This does not mean I will fight alongside you. My days of war and anger are over."**_

Shouwei began to fade.

 _ **"Be safe and rest well, Huojin,"**_ his voice echoed. _**"War is coming."**_


	5. Four: Jang Hui

News about the discovery of Huojin spread slowly but quickly. Instead of reaching his family, the White Lotus intercepted the message in an instant. As always, they were able to track the message to its original source: the town of Gangkou. Two Ostrich Horses, both adorned with collars baring the White Lotus emblem. The sentries that rode them kept themselves from falling off, the muddy terrain proving to be difficult for the Ostrich Horses. Once they spotted Jy-ying's home, the Ostrich Horses came to a screeching halt, nearly slipping in the wet mud.

"Do you think he's still alive?" one of the sentries asked.

The other nodded. "We wouldn't be here if he wasn't, Hakoda. You know that."

"I know, Tonraq. I was just asking," Hakoda replied, hopping onto the ground, "Being around the new Avatar is like... being around Mom again, right? You think he'd recognize me?"

"He's an entirely different person. Unless he goes into the Avatar state, he **won't** know you... yet," said Tonraq, following Hakoda, "I miss Mom as much as you do, but don't forget about our _other_ Mom. She's still alive."

Hakoda chuckled, " _ **And**_ she's all the way in Republic City," he said, "Come on, Tonraq. Time to focus on other things." He knocked on the door, and waited for someone to answer.

Tonraq and Hakoda stood outside for minutes. Those minutes turned into an hour, and an hour turned into two hours. They both wondered if anyone was home at all. Soon, they could hear footsteps inside of the house, and they grew louder with each passing second.

"Who is it?" a voice asked from the other side of the door.

"We came to see Huojin," said Tonraq, voice raised, "We're sentries of the White Lotus."

At first, there was no response. Then came a quick, short, and exasperated sigh. Opening the door, Ilio stood there, a grin on her face. She only wore a tanktop and yellow pants, and her left leg was wrapped in bandages. Ilio balanced herself on a single wooden crutch, and she looked rather **tired**.

"You're those White Lotus guys, huh? I remember seeing more of you on Air Temple Island," she spoke, putting a cheerful tone in her voice, "Southern or Northern Water Tribe?"

"We're both from the South," Hakoda answered, smiling down at Ilio, "We're looking for a young man. His name is Huojin. We were told he was residing here temporarily."

"Yep, he's here," said Ilio, "You guys want to come in? It's warmer in here."

Tonraq and Hakoda entered the home, wiping their boots on the floormat. Jy-ying's home was one of the largest houses in the town. A large fire pit was placed in the center of the home, vents carrying the heat to the other rooms. Fire Nation and Air Nation artifacts decorated the walls, along with old black and white photos.

"Is Jy-ying home?" Tonraq questioned.

"She went out with some guy named Shen. He's _definitely_ a swampbilly," Ilio laughed, trying her best not to fall, "Tenzin is upstairs, and Huojin is asleep. There's a some sushi and rice-cakes in the kitchen if you guys are hungry, but I think Khenpo might've gotten to it first..."

"And who is Khenpo? Another friend of yours?" Hakoda was curious.

Ilio shook her head. "He's Huojin's companion; a Sky Bison," she said, "If you guys are with the White Lotus, aren't you supposed to know these things?"

"Huojin was protected by the White Lotus of Piao Li. We're from the White Lotus of Nanuq Qimmik," Tonraq answered, "I am Tonraq, and this is my younger brother, Hakoda."

Hakoda and Tonraq bowed respectfully.

"You're Kai and Jinora's daughter, right?" Hakoda asked, and Ilio's eyes widened with excitement.

"Yeah, they're my parents!" Ilio laughed, but Tonraq was not amused, "How did you-?"

"I think it's better to explain _**without**_ Mr. Grump right here," Hakoda joked, glancing at his older brother, "Friend, we're got **a lot** to talk about."

As Hakoda and Ilio went to talk in the living room, Tonraq rolled his eyes as he went upstairs. His footsteps echoed throughout the house, and reverberated off the wooden walls. Tonraq peeked into each room, only to find a rolled-up futon. He began to doubt if Huojin was truly injured, or if he was even **alive**.

In the next room he looked into, Tonraq had found exactly who he was looking for. Huojin slept on the futon, two blankets pulled up to his waist. Tonraq could see the healing scars and bruises on Huojin's back, and in an instant he became worried for the Avatar.

Tonraq quietly entered the room, sliding the door shut behind him.

"I was told that you were here," Tonraq spoke, "I knew you long ago. Not as Huojin, but as Avatar Korra."

He sat in a chair next to Huojin's futon, and examined the young man's injuries."You're lucky to be alive, you know? After Ko-...my Mother, reconnected with her past lives, the Avatar Cycle was saved, and you were born after she died," Tonraq paused to take a deep breath, "Ujurak has told me a lot about you, Huojin. You're headstrong, brash, **_and_** stubborn. Just like Korra," Tonraq grinned, "You can recover from this. Injured or not, you're still resilient."

Huojin's arm twitched, and his eyes opened. Tonraq, noticing the sudden movements, smiled, and got up onto his feet.

"If you truly believe you're ready to become the Avatar, you'll be up and ready to leave in an hour," said Tonraq, "And I promise you, we're _not_ going to Piao Li."

 **《》**

By the early morning hours, Huojin was awake, and felt better than ever. He wrapped his chest in bandages, making sure they weren't too tight or loose. What Tonraq had said slightly motivated him, and Huojin wondered if the White Lotus sentry was a Waterbender.

 _Maybe he'll teach me to waterbend_ , Huojin thought, _I can't even bend a single drop of sweat_.

Before leaving, Huojin looked at himself in the mirror. He noticed how much his hair had grown, the stubble on his chin, and the dirt left on his face. Debating whether he needed to clean up or not, he sighed, deciding it would be best to actually look presentable for once. Huojin grabbed a pair of scissors from the upper cabinet, and began to clip away. His hair was shorter than ever, and he knew it would be impossible to even tie it back.

"Much better," he spoke to himself, rubbing his chin, "Mom and Dad wouldn't even recognize me anymore."

He washed his face, cleaned the sink, and left the bathroom.

Huojin was back to acting like a little kid again. He slid down the railing of the stairs, and pretended to act fine when he nearly fell. Using the coal inside the fire pit, he created a pillar, and leaped right over it. Huojin landed on his feet, but the impact rattled him to the core. If he had stayed in Piao Li, he would have learned Airbending from Wu-Sheng, and landing _**wouldn't** _ have been an issue.

Huojin began to wondered what would happened... if he remained in Piao Li.

"Jin, you're awake!" Ilio exclaimed with joy, running over to hug her friend, "You've been unconscious for 3 days straight! Are you okay?"

"Wait... 3 days..?" Huojin spoke, his voice slightly slurred, "I was asleep for **that long**?"

"Those darts were carrying Jade Lotus poison," Tenzin said, standing near the door frame, "While you were recovering, I was doing some research in Jy-ying's library. The Jade Lotus plant is only found in one place in the _entire_ world, and Jang Hui's waters are perfect for growing vegetation."

"We've found evidence of the Red Lotus in Jang Hui," said Tonraq, leaning against the wall, "We have an informant within Jang Hui. I'm sure most of you have heard of Rung Raikatuji, am I correct?"

"You mean 'Tiger Twin Hooks' Raikatuji?" Ilio asked.

"The same guy who broke out of Boiling Rock Prison... with **both hands** tied behind his _**back**_?" Huojin recognized the name.

"One of the very few people to get killed by Wan Shi Tong? Yes, we've all heard of him," Tenzin sighed.

"Well, Rung has sent us new information about the Red Lotus," said Hakoda, "Pirates smuggled the poison into the Earth Kingdom, _and_ they were using some pretty expensive mounts for transportation, too."

"Speckled Eel Hounds; the rarest of all Eel Hound breeds in the Earth Kingdom. Only those with links to Ba Sing Se's Upper Ring can get animals like that," Tonraq explained, "Trying to find them in Ba Sing Se would take too long, so you three need to track these hounds _before_ the Pirates get to them first."

"Why would we do that? What good is that going to do?" Tenzin questioned, doubting the tactics of the White Lotus.

"It will give you time to get to Republic City _without_ worrying about the Red Lotus," Hakoda said, "Besides, I heard the Bai Luo Bisons are going against the Fire Ferrets in two days. It may be Game Three, but it's definitely a tie-breaker, that's for sure."

"We can stop those Eel Hounds by _**tomorrow!**_ " Ilio spoke with confidence, "We'll get to Jang Hui in hours! And- um... we're exactly is Jang Hui?"

Everyone, including Huojin, could only sigh.

 **《》**

"I used to have a Polar Bear Dog when I was a kid, you know? Her name was Naga," said Hakoda, helping adjust the saddle on Khenpo's back, "She was pretty sweet, but the fur... man, the **fur**. It just got everywhere."

"Yeah, that happens with Khenpo, too," Huojin laughed, giving Khenpo a ball of cabbage, "What happened with Naga? Is she still alive?"

"She passed away 18 years ago. She _did_ have a whole litter of pups, though. After that, the Southern and Northern Tribes made killing Polar Bear Dogs **illegal** ," Hakoda remembered, "Sitka and Kenai were my favorite of the litter. We gave two pups to Grandma and Grandpa, and we gave the rest to our family in the North."

" _Are_ they cute?" Ilio joined the conversation, curious to learn about the animals.

"Even when they're fully grown, Polar Bear Dogs are adorable," Hakoda chuckled, "When it comes to a Sky Bison... I don't know if I want to raise one or not."

Khenpo snorted, sending chills up and down Hakoda's spine.

"No, Khenpo, he didn't call you fat," Huojin spoke to his companion, "He just thinks you're very, very fluffy."

"He _is_ like a giant pillow, but Righty is even fluffier!" Ilio launched herself onto Righty's back, and ruffled the Bison's fur, "She does look a bit heavier than usual, though. And she did eat a whole plate of lettuce wraps... Empty stomach, I guess?"

"Either that, or she's-"

"Time for you to go!" Tonraq interrupted Hakoda, "I'll stay here and watch Huojin's boat. It's going to take the White Lotus a few days to get here. If you run into Rung, make sure you get some information out of him. Remember, Huojin, the more allies you have, the better. If the Red Lotus can track you down like they did, it'll be just as easy the second time."

"Thanks, Tonraq," Huojin nodded, helping Hakoda onto the saddle, "When will we see you in Republic City?"

"In a few weeks or so. I have some business back in Nanuq Qimmik," Tonraq replied, "Good luck, Avatar Huojin."

As Tonraq went back into the house, Huojin readjusted the saddle one last time. Hakoda looked rather nervous. His face went pale, sweat began to trickle down the side of his head, and his stomach began to gurgle.

"Hakoda doesn't look too good," Tenzin spoke to Ilio, "I think he's going to pass out."

"Nah, he looks fine to me," said Ilio, gripping the reins, "Give him ten minutes, and he'll adjust to the flight," she readied Righty to launch into the air, "Yip yip!"

As Righty flew off, Khenpo followed, and Hakoda's screams echoed throughout the air. Within seconds, he passed out, slumping against the back of the saddle.

"Amateur," Huojin grinned, "Oh, he's gonna get used to it."

As the group made their way to Jang Hui, something moved in one of Huojin's saddle bags. Shen peeked outside of the bag, facial hair blowing in the wind. After two dates with Jy-ying, she wanted to start an actual relationship with him. Unfortunately, Shen was a 'man of adventure.' He had dated many people across the Earth Kingdom, but Jy-ying was _**aggressive.**_ After a few- well, ten total bottles of Baiju- Shen remembered waking up in the Gangkou Town Inn. And who was sleeping next to him? Of course, it was Jy-ying. And after that, Shen left, and hid inside the saddle bag.

Apparently, his next destination would be Jang Hui.

 **《》**

Rung Raikatuji had a long history within the Fire Nation. He was the fifth person in history to escape Boiling Rock Prison, he trashed an entire United Forces camp _with_ a Komodo Rhino, and Rung had a long list of 'accomplishments.' At the age of 24, he was supposed to be in College by now, not living in an isolated, 'floating town'. But, Rung liked the life he lived, and reading a book was the one thing he **couldn't** do.

"How much for the Speckled Eel Hound?" Rung asked one of the salesmen, "I gotta get to Ijiri, and taking a riverboat _isn't_ an option for me."

"Y'got 400 Yuans, bud? Ain't gonna lie: these hounds are worth more than gold," the middle-aged salesman spoke, ready to increase his final price, "400 Yuans, and I'll give 'ya the best hound we got in the warehouse."

"350 Yuans, and I'll give you a Gold Srang, too," Rung held an entire stack and Yuans. In his other hand was a Gold Srang. It may have been similar to the White Lotus variant of a Pai Sho game piece, but nobody could forget the familiar face of the Sky Bison engraved into the coveted coin.

"What, y'honestly think Air Nation money s'gonna work out here? In Fire Nation territory? Ha! Unless y'got **500** Yuans, get outta 'ere!" The salesman kicked Rung out of his warehouse, and shut the doors as well.

Rung was enraged. He wanted to slice the doors open with his swords, give the man most of his Yuans, and take one of the Speckled Eel Hounds. Rung always got what he wanted. _**Always**_.

Unlike most people from the Fire Nation, he had the appearance of another common Earthbender. He kept his dark, dirty brown hair medium length; some strands fell right in front of his face, most of it was in a complete and utter mess, while some hair in the back was tied into a long, thin ponytail. The clothes he wore were just scraps of both Fire Nation and Republic City clothing. He wore a maroon colored, sleeveless tunic; two oak-colored belts were wrapped around his upper and lower waist, and strapped to his shoulder was a copper colored pauldron. His Hakama pants were a seaweed green, and they had been tucked into his tabi boots.

Wherever he went, his Tiger Twin Hooks went with him. They, of course, were his swords, _and_ they were made from Hagane Steel: a valuable, platinum like mineral only found near Zaofu. Rung took great pride in using these swords. From zip-lining across cavernous ravines, to swiping people's moneybags, the curved, sharpened tips of the hook swords were perfect for any situation.

"Oi, Rung!" Mochi, one of the younger kids of Jang Hui, pulled a Komodo Rhino over to Rung, "How did it go? Did you get what y'needed?"

"Not this time, kid," Rung groaned, "Thanks for taking care of Ōkī for me. Did you feed and wash him?"

Mochi nodded. "He was really stinky, too. He likes to eat a lot of the Lotus flowers."

"Was the plant green?" Rung cocked an eyebrow.

"Yep! I kinda reminded me of Jade!" said Mochi.

"...That's good. He's able to digest Jade Lotus flowers, so it won't get him sick," Rung let out a sigh of relief, knowing Ōkī wouldn't be poisoned, "Here. Keep this in your stash, kiddo." Rung dropped a Gold Srang in Mochi's tiny hands.

The little girl's face lit up, and she practically squealed with excitement as she ran off. Rung felt bad for kids such as Mochi. Ever since Jang Hui had expanded towards the old site of the Fire Nation factory, children- ranging from two to ten- began to mysteriously appear from the caves. Mochi was just one of many children living in the Jang Hui Orphanage.

Rung was raised in an orphanage, but _he_ lived in the Dragon Flats Borough Group Home. To him, it was more like a prison.

"C'mon, boy, let's get home," said Rung, leading Ōkī to the residential area, "I'll be back for the hound, that's for sure..."

 **《》**

Rung's home was a small flat, and there was enough room for Ōkī to walk around. As the Komodo Rhino buried himself in a pile of hay, Rung dropped what he had, and collapsed on the mattress. Over the years, Rung was labeled as a 'thief' and a 'serial liar'. He, indeed, was both of those, but it was all about **survival**.

Growing up in Dragon Flats Borough was not easy, especially for someone without parents. All he had was an old picture of his supposed 'family'. It was him as a toddler, and he was held by a young woman. Rung wondered if she was his mother, or if she was just a relative. On the back of the photo, 'Ijiri' was all that was written. Rung thought it was a town or a city, and decided that it was where he wanted to go.

Two problems. One: Komodo Rhino's can't swim towards land. Two: Rung had enemies who **loved** to rob the riverboats.

Near his bed, Rung noticed a folded piece of paper. He picked it up, and opened it, reading the text that was written.

 **Thanks for the nice time last night, sweetheart.**  
 **Hope to see you again... sometime soon.**  
 _ **-Aya**_

Rung chuckled softly, feeling the scratches and bruises all over his arms.

"Maybe in the next five years, Aya," Rung spoke to himself, throwing the note away, "...Maybe..."

He sat up, propping himself against a stack of pillows. Using one sword, he pulled the remote towards him, and turned the Television on.

If it wasn't for Iknik Blackstone Varrick, the Television, or 'TV', wouldn't have been invented and distributed. After making trillions of Yuans with the creations of the 'Mover,' the very thought of downsizing it inside of a box was ludicrous! But, nobody could convince Varrick to cancel the project. With the help of famed inventor Koan Asano, the same mechanics used to create movers was shrunk, and placed inside of a whole variety of 'box' sizes! Within days, Television sales skyrocketed into the billions, newly created channels ranging from Sports and Animation became popular, heck, even Boss Oyama himself bought 1,000 TV sets for **everyone** living in the Roku District! Rung managed to... _ahem_... borrow a TV from a White Lotus outpost, along with a radio, a glider, two cases of food, and Ōkī, who was just a small hatchling at the time.

 _"...Hello, and welcome to station 80, the home channel of the Pro Bending League! I am Shiro Shinobi Jr.!"_ Shiro's nearly identical son spoke to the camera, _"As of yesterday, the Bai Luo Bisons have not managed to beat the Fire Ferrets, and the Fire Ferrets have not managed to beat the Bai Luo Bisons! Tomorrow, Round Three will officially start, and this will be the tiebreaker between two teams! Who will win? If the Bai Luo Bisons win this tournament, it will be a big day for the Air Nation and even make Councilwoman Jinora proud! Well- er... if she even approves of her own husband competing, of course,"_ Shiro paused, _"But that is **not** the point, people! If the Fire Ferrets win, however, this will be their 10th win in a row, thus setting an all-time record in the Pro Bending League!"_

"Surprise, surprise," Rung rolled his eyes, "Tell me something I don't know..."

 _"In other news, the big Pro Bending League draft is coming up, and students from almost every Bending Academy are hoping to be drafted! From the Taka-Sa Academy of Flames, to the Charwa Valley School of Four Winds, many schools are hoping to earn the 'Pro Bending Certified' plaque somewhere on their campus! I'm Shiro Shinobi Jr.! Goodnight, everyone, and stay tuned for the Bisons-Fire Ferrets tiebreaking game!"_

Before Rung could turn the TV off, two blasts of air came through his window, and he was knocked back into the wall. Ōkī stood up, ready to attack whoever had nearly killed his human friend, only to raise his head in curiosity. Khenpo peaked into the flat, and Ōkī whimpered, wondering who or _what_ the strange creature was.

"Did you get him?" Huojin asked Tenzin, who could only do a facepalm.

"Ilio did it this time. She killed the one man we needed to talk to!" Tenzin complained, climbing into the flat, "Ah- wait, he's alive."

"See? Told you I didn't hurt him! I-I think," Ilio's face turned red, and she walked through the front door, "He has a Komodo Rhino, too? I thought these things went extinct after-"

"After the Rough Rhinos disbanded, Komodo Rhinos made a pretty good comeback. There's at least 500,000 of them left in the Fire Nation," said Hakoda, who felt the urge to vomit, "Man, I can't even feel my own stomach..."

"Guys, we came to Jang Hui to stop those pirates, not joke around," Huojin sounded more serious than usual, "You're Rung Raikatuji, right? You alright?" Huojin walked over to Rung, and helped him up, "Sorry about that. We didn't know you were... vulnerable."

"Whaddya expect, kid? I'm a non-bender! Read my lips! N-O-N B-E-N-D-E-R! Can't even breathe fire!" Rung snapped, pushing Huojin away, "And don't use the "I've the Avatar" excuse just to get out of trouble!"

Rung paused, looking over Huojin once more.

"Wait... you're not ** _him_** , are you?"

Huojin laughed, "Talk about spoiling the surprise," he joked, "I'm Huojin Ou-Yang, Rung. First Earthbending Avatar in over 200+ years," Huojin said, shaking Rung's hand, "You've heard of Speckled Eel Hounds, right?"

 **《》**

"Never been to Air Temple Island, to be honest. I've seen it from the harbor, but never thought of taking a tour," Rung spoke, pouring tea into four glasses, "A lot of the Winged Sifaka Lemurs live in Dragon Flats. They went crazy for the fruit trees!"

"They're like flying cottonballs!" Ilio joked, "You lived in the Dragon Flats Borough?"

"Yep. Born in some Fire Nation town, and dumped at a Group Home," said Rung, "I'm guessing you and your boyfriend have mastered Airbending, right?"

"Boyfriend? I'm her brother!" Tenzin growled, scowling at Rung, "And yes, we're Airbending Masters. She got her chi-tattoos a few months ago."

Ilio smiled proudly. "I made a new style of Airbending! You combine the Badgermole Style with Airbending, and it amplifies the blasts of air! Dad gave me the idea!"

"What's your Dad's name, huh?" Rung was curious.

"Ilio and Tenzin's parents are Jinora and Kai," Huojin interrupted, "You've heard of them before?"

"Kai is the Captain of the Bai Luo Bisons, and Jinora represents the Air Nation on the Republic City Council," Rung nodded, "What about you, Jin? You got any folks at home?"

"Guangli is my Dad. He's an Earthbender from Ba Sing Se. Nyima is my Mom, and she's from the Metal Nation," said Huojin, "I've... ah- this is a bit embarrasing to say..."

"What is it?" Tenzin asked.

"A girlfriend?" Ilio giggled.

"Unresolved problem, kid?" Rung questioned.

"I had a boyfriend!" Huojin blurted out, "His name was Seok-Ju. We dated for a few years, but after hearing about the controversy with Korra and Asami, it was best for us to just be friends."

"...Was he cute?" Ilio decided to break the sudden silence, "Guys, come on! Just because guys always date girls, doesn't mean guys can't date guys, right? Aunt Asami married Aunt Korra, and the only people upset about it was the older generation! You're brave for saying that, Huojin," Ilio smiled.

"Thanks, Lio," Huojin laughed nervously, "-Rung, where did you last see the Eel Hounds?" he tried to change the conversation entirely.

"Huh- oh, right! The Speckled Eel Hounds were in Mr. Lee's Warehouse," Rung began to explain, "I also saw some cases of Jade Lotus poison under the tarps, and they weren't going to the hospital up the river, either. A group of guys left 3 days ago, and they came back screaming about 'pillars of earth' and 'a ring of fire.' That wasn't you, was it?"

"I gave those guys a warning, and I scared them half to death," Huojin admitted, "Do you know a way into the warehouse?"

"I broke out of Boiling Rock, kid. I can break into a warehouse just as easily!" Rung bragged, "What about the White Lotus guy over there? He won't cause any trouble, will he?"

He pointed over to Hakoda, who slept on Rung's bed.

"He vomited five times today, and I slipped some Tigerdillo Bone-dust into his water. It makes you drowsy within seconds," said Huojin, "Now, I got an idea, but I'm gonna need these things..."

 **《》**

The moon shined down on Jang Hui, light glistening on the crystal-clear water. While everyone was asleep, the Pirates prepared for another poison delivery to the Earth Kingdom. They loaded the Jade Lotus poison into saddles, and placed them on the backs of the Eel Hounds.

"How much we gettin' paid for this, eh?" One of the men asked, "200 Yuans an hour?"

"100 Yuans an hour," said the other man, "Stop askin' questions, and let's get movin'. We gotta avoid the mornin' harbor patrol."

Before they could even ride out into the open waters, the doors flew open, and the men were knocked back.

Other pirates heard the commotion, and rushed into the main warehouse.

"Who the heck invited these dumb kids?!" One pirate became infuriated.

"Dumb kids? We're Team Avatar!" Huojin said excitedly, only to receive glares from everyone else. He shook his head. "No more delivering the poison!"

"GET 'EM!" A female pirate screamed.

The fight was enough to wake the whole town.

Swords clashed, blasts of air created wholes in the roof, earth spikes were uprooted from underwater, and smoke bombs went off. One of the Eel Hounds managed to make it onto the water, and Huojin saw this with his own eyes.

"Guys, I'm going after the hound!" he shouted, "Get these pirates tied up, and call General Lu Ten! He'll help!"

Huojin ran off, using the submerged earth to propel himself across the water. He chased after the Eel Hound, but he could barely catch up with the speedy creature. Huojin's eyes began to glow, and everything around him went into slow motion. Jumping off a pillar, he dove into the water, swam right under the Eel Hound, and came up in front of it, creating a large pillar of ice.

The Eel Hound, along with the pirate riding it, hit the wall, and fell into the water. The Jade Lotus poison sunk to the bottom, the Eel Hound swam away, and the pirate was grabbed by Huojin , who threw the man onto the land. In an instant, the pirate was buried neck deep in the ground, and he had no way to escape.

"Tell me who had you do this!" Huojin demanded answers, "Tell me, now!"

"Okay, okay! It was Boss Basotei! He's been paying for the deliveries!" the pirate screamed, "Just let me go! I won't tell anyone about this!"

"No! You're going to try and kill me again!" Huojin shouted. Before he could injure the pirate any furher, his eyes turned normal once again, and he snapped back to reality.

"Hey, what's going on over there?!"

Turning around, Huojin saw a group of Fire Nation troops run towards his direction. He ran from the scene, leaving the pirate behind.

 **《》**

"Good work on stopping these... these **fools** ," Lieutenant Jeong, a United Forces officer, thanked the new Team Avatar, "We'll send them to Boiling Rock, and the chance of them getting out will be slim. Thanks to you, Jetrung, we had to boost security."

"Jetrung?" everyone turned to Rung.

"My full name is Jetrung Raikatuji," he said, glaring at Lieutenant Jeong, "It's an old name from the Era of Avatar Wan. Jeong here makes me feel like an old man."

Lieutenant Jeong' s face turned a light shade of pink. "A-Anyway," he stuttered, "My brothers, Lu Ten and Roku, they're in Republic City. They had no time to get here, so I was sent instead. If I had known that such an operation was occuring in this town, I would have gotten here sooner."

"At least you were able to assist us. That's all that matters," Tenzin spoke, sounding more like his grandfather, "If you don't mind, may we stay on your ship until we reach Republic City?"

"We have a few empty rooms," said Lieutenant Jeong, "I'll have some of my men help you carry your supplies. We leave at 0001 hours," he said, "That's one-o'clock in the morning."

As Lieutenant Jeong climbed aboard his warship, the _Resurgence of Fire_ , and disappeared out of the group's sight.

"Huojin! We have an unwelcome guest!" Hakoda marched his way across the ground, dragging Shen behind him, "It's Jy-ying's date!"

"Shen?" Ilio and Tenzin said in unison.

"Uh- hey, guys," he spoke up, sweat trickling down his face, "Jy-ying wanted to get into a serious relationship! I can't handle that! Grandmamma told me to be a free man, not chained to some woman! I ain't gonna waist m'time sittin' on a porch all day!"

"That doesn't give you an excuse to run away like that!" Hakoda shook Shen by the shirt color, "You must be crazy leaving her behind!"

"Jeez, Koda, take is easy on the kid!" Rung grabbed Hakoda's shoulder, "Tone it down a few notches!"

Hakoda took a deep breath, dropping Shen in the ground.

"So, who are you? Huojin asked Shen, who prepared to introduce himself.

"Name's Shen! I'm a member of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, and the best Zhongruan player in the entire Earth Kingdom!" Shen strummed the strings of the Zhongruan guitar, "I was gonna hitch a ride to Republic City! Uncle Cho lives there, and he's got 'imself one of the greatest Swampgrass bands in the world!"

"Swampgrass?" Huojin whispered to Tenzin.

"Just another music genre," Tenzin whispered back.

"He's not actually coming with us, is he?" Hakoda questioned, nearly choking to death thanks to Shen's odor.

"Well, Jeong said they had more rooms onboard. So... I guess he can bunk with me," Huojin suggested, "Shen, do you know the Song of the Badgermoles?"

"Do I? I practically learned it from Guru Sumgön!" Shen laughed.

"Oh, we're definitely gonna get along," Huojin smiled, "That song was my favorite when I was 6! I'd ask for a pet Badgermole every holiday after that!"

"Really? Ain't a big fan of Badgermoles, but Catgators make some good pets!" Huojin and Shen joked around, both boarding the warship. Hakoda followed, barely able to hold his own weight. Ilio carried Tenzin up the ramp, both tired from the long day. And Rung dragged himself up as well, body sore from the fighting.

"I don't know what I just got myself into," he spoke to himself, "But I'm already starting to love it. Just like Great-Grandpa...'

* * *

 **A/N:** _**Hello. It's me.**_

 _Ha! Just kidding! It's Karmaisms, not Adele._

 _This chapter is actually two chapters put together, and... I am officially a broken young woman. My hands hurt, my eyes are sore, and my ass... my ass. I have been sitting aLL WEEK! I was pretty busy with school and work, and I'm working on another chapter for the story already! Hey, I told you I would come back!_

 _I'm BACK._

 _So, the Korrasami kids have been spotted! Repeat, it's the Korrasami kids! Quick reminder: Tonraq is the oldest, Hakoda is the second oldest (and the laidback one), Katara (who will make an appearance in the next chapter) is the first youngest, and Aya is the youngest of all siblings._

 _And I myself have 4 other siblings! I am the glue of my family, and yes, the struggle is REAL._

 _So, this... Jetrung character. Seems familiar, doesn't he? No! I'm not spoiling this for anyone! You'll have to put the pieces of his past and present together! *obvious hints* Although, his swords were owned by a rather... confused young man._

 _In the next chapter, it's the moment you've been waiting for: WELCOME TO REPUBLIC CITY! Will Team Avatar stay out of trouble, or will trouble just find them? The answer... will be revealed in a few weeks or so!_

 _Goodnight, and Happy St. Patricks Day, everyone!_

 _- **Karmaisms**._


	6. Five: Welcome to Republic City

As a Father of ten children, including a daughter-in-law, and a grandfather to two grandchildren, Bolin was used to the pressure and stress of being a parent, but it drained him of **all** of his energy. It was 6:00 in the morning; the sun was not yet over the horizon, the birds were silent, and after days of non-stop work, Bolin could finally get some sleep.

While Opal slept silently, Bolin continued to snore, legs hanging off the edge of the bed. Crayons and stuffed animals were all over the floor, and one wrong step meant a trip to the clinic for a stubbed toe. Fortunately for Bolin and Opal, they both had a two month vacation from work, but the kids were out of school for the summer as well.

Great. _**Just great**_.

Bolin's alarm clock went off, and his eyes shot wide open. He knocked the clock off the nightstand, wanting to sleep for a little while longer. It was the start of his vacation after all, and waking up early was a bad way to start it. Even though he had two months off, he still had a morning routine to complete. He got up from the bed, and slowly walked out of the bedroom. Bolin stumbled around the hallway; he shook his head just to wake himself up, but what he _really_ needed was coffee.

Ever since Bolin and Opal _finally_ decided to get married, life was quite simple for the couple. At first, they only wanted a small family, but when their eldest son, Gyatso, had turned five, he _was_ the one who asked for a little brother. Within the course of 30 years, two kids soon turned into eight kids; the eldest was 27, and the youngest was 10.

The light from the refrigerator door nearly blinded Bolin, causing him to squint for a split second. When he noticed that the door was open, he also saw someone stuffing their mouth with food.

"...Tashi..?" Bolin yawned, realizing that it was his daughter's boyfriend, "What are you doing here..? It's too early for you to be here..."

"-Mr. Beifong? You're up already?" Tashi jumped out of fright, "Ah- I was just... it was too late for me to go home, so I... stayed for the night."

Tashi was a laidback, young man from the Floating Islands of Pasang . Like most people who lived on Pasang, Tashi was an Airbender, and he had the tattoos of mastery as well. He was quite tall for his age, but just a few inches short of being 6 feet tall. The only hair on his head was a short, ash brown mohawk, and this somewhat defied Air Nomad tradition.

But, when Bolin noticed how loosely Tashi's boxer's hung loosely from his waist, the older man grew suspicious.

"Tashi, what are you really doing here?" Bolin questioned, his voice somewhat raised, "Did you forget that my daughter is only 17?"

"Wha- no, I didn't forget," Tashi spoke up, setting some food down on the countertop, "She's almost 18, Mr. Beifong, and-"

"You're 2 years older than Nima," Bolin interrupted, "She's not even in college yet, and I don't want Nima ending up with a baby at her age."

"Mr. Beifong, I'm not gonna get her-"

"Pregnant? You better hope that **doesn't** happen," said Bolin, glaring at Tashi, "And if you so much as _try_ to manipulate my daughter, I'll leave you in Lake Laogai myself. Do I make myself clear, Tashi?"

Tashi gulped, and slowly nodded.

"Okay, that's all I wanted to hear," Bolin yawned, going back to his calm and relaxed attitude, "I'll give you a pass this time, but ask before you decide to stay overnight, got it?"

"G-Got it," Tashi was a bit scared, wondering how Bolin could go from frightening to docile within seconds, "Do I have to sleep on the couch, s-sir..?"

"Nah, you can go back to Nima's room," Bolin sighed, pouring himself a cup of old coffee, "Just no kissing or touching.""

"Y-Yes si- I mean, Mr. Beifong," Tashi stuttered, taking his food back to Nima's room.

Bolin leaned against the counter-top, and took a sip of coffee. Despite its bitter taste, it woke him up, the caffeine giving him a boost of energy. As a father, he had plenty to worry about. Most of his kids were already grown, but not all of them; Gyatso was 27, Dorjee was already 22, Norbu was 18, Li was 18, Nima and Nana were 17, Toza and Taisho were 16, Bumi was 15, and Mei-lin was 10.

To Opal, a big family was a good family. But for Bolin, his family was **way too big**. Even though Mako had only 4 kids, Bolin wasn't jealous, and he tried not to compare his own kids to his brother's family. But, Bolin remembered one thing he wouldn't forget soon.

 _Korra_ , Bolin thought, _she was Gyatso and Dorjee's favorite Aunt_.

 **《** **》**

As the sun began to rise, life soon became active again within Republic City. The sounds of Police sirens and beeping horns was nothing new, the Spirit Wilds were once again rejuvenated by the sun's light, Sky Bison flew over the townhouses and buildings; everyone and everything went back to their normal, everyday routine. Of course, there was the occasional arrest- well, _ **arrests**_ of suspected Triad members, which prompted people to gossip about the past commotion, but nothing serious- such as the Equalist Uprising or Unavaatu's almost-disastrous attack- had happened in the past 30 years.

Future Industries was doing quite fine over the years, and instead of profiting from millions of Yuans, the company profited from **_billions_** _**of Yuans.**_ Over 10,000 Satomobile were being sold every day, and the creation of high speed 'Bullet' Trains was in popular demand by most Railstation companies. Thanks to a temporary merger with Global Industries- which had been renamed by Varrick Global Industries- shipping items and parts came with no cost or consequence whatsoever.

Asami may have enjoyed the good times, but ever since Korra had died, her whole personality had somewhat changed.

The CEO's appearance had changed; she was no longer the youthful looking woman she once was. Asami had stopped wearing makeup over 10 years ago, her hair began to gray, and her once smooth skin began to wrinkle. Most of the time, she would either work or stay home; it was rare to see Asami with her kids, too.

Asami sat at her desk, enjoying the view she had from her office. The Future Industries factory was a few feet away from a school, an Earthbending Academy, to be exact. Some of the kids often chose to stay for the summer, so the cheerful laughter and the constant tremors never stopped. Sometimes, it reminded Asami of one of her youngest children, Aya, who was the only Earthbender in the family. Even though most of the kids were older, they often visited Asami, but Tonraq had not returned to Republic City in a decade. _ **A whole decade**_.

The phone on the CEO's desk rang, and Asami reached for it, wondering who was calling her so early.

"This is Asami Sato speaking," she sighed, "If you want to make an appointment, you need to call-"

 _"Mrs. Sato, this is Commander Roku of the United Forces,"_ Roku spoke, _"I was just calling to see if Katara was in the office today? I was hoping to talk to her; she said she would be in the city for a few days."_

Asami's grin turned into a smile.

 _"_ She isn't here right now, Roku," she chuckled, "After all these years, you're still trying to win my daughter's heart, aren't you?"

 _"-What?! No!"_ Roku became defensive, and he tried his best to lie, _"We're just.. friends. And I p-plan to keep it that way, Mrs. Sato."_

"Roku, I thought your Father told you **not** to lie to others?" Asami questioned, "If you want to date Katara, all you have to do is ask her. She _is_ stationed at the Yue Bay Checkpoint, by the way."

 _"She is? I didn't know she joined the United Forces,"_ Roku wasn't exactly shocked, but he was a bit surprised by the news, _"I'm guessing she's in the training program, yes?"_

"No, she isn't. Katara just graduated medical school a month ago, and she's a certified Doctor," Asami explained, "If I were you, I would get to that checkpoint as soon as possible. Katara is supposed to leave for the Si Wong Desert in a couple of days."

 _"The Si Wong Desert? Mrs. Sato, there's a civil war within that region! It's too dangerous for Katara to go there!"_ Roku became worried for his long-time friend, _"You didn't know, did you?"_

Asami became curious, but like Roku, she was worried as well. "Civil War? I didn't-"

 _"It's been going on for two years. The conflict started thanks to a group of soldiers from Ba Sing Se; they illegally seized land from a farmer and his family, and the locals were **not** happy about it. More soldiers were sent from the city, and the found themselves ambushed by Sandbenders. It turned into what we call the Si Wong Civil War. Things have gotten out of hand, and the Earth Kingdom is to blame for the bloodshed. Ever wonder why Varrick's warehouse was shut down in Omashu? General Ashok and his gang of Sandbenders tried to raid the city a week ago."_

"Nobody ever told me this, and this _**wasn't**_ in the newspapers," Asami groaned, shaking her head in disbelief, "Roku, you need to tell Katara about this. I can't risk losing my daughter in a civil war. I'm going to tell Varrick about what happened, too. He needs to know."

 _"Mrs. Sato, I don't think-!"_

" **Goodbye** , Commander Roku," Asami hung up, and thought of what Roku had told her.

A Civil War? In the middle of the Earth Kingdom? But that was just completely impossible! Nobody bothered to put this in the headlines, let alone speak of such a war on the news. If the Earth Kingdom was truly breaking laws to get their way, then this was something that people needed to know.

Asami dialed the number for The Elemental Times, a very influential and well-known Newspaper. If they knew about the conflict in the desert, the President would have no choice but to investigate the civil war.

 _"This is Kinnojo Kajiyama of The Elemental Times,"_ the journalist spoke, sounding rather energized, _"If you're calling me on this phone, you've got a story for me. Anything good or exciting?"_

"This is... an anonymous tip," said Asami, "And trust me when I say this; this is going to turn into the biggest story of your career."

 **《** **》**

Huojin's arms and legs took up the entire mattress, and he began to drool on the pillow he rested his head on. Instead of sleeping in a normal room, he chose to sleep in the cargo bay. Yesterday, not only did he share his meal with Khenpo, but he had no choice but to give bits and pieces of cabbage to a Goat Gorilla, a Platypus Bear, and a Mother Badgermole and her litter of 5 juvenile cubs.

With the rise of the sun, brought the cawing of seagulls, and Huojin finally woke up, feeling more relaxed than ever. He let out a yawn, stretched his arms out, and his eyes soon adjusted to his surroundings. Rays of sunlight came in through the grill gate on the deck, the floor quickly becoming warm. This is what Huojin was used to. A nice, peaceful, quiet morning, _and_ the smell of fresh dirt and salt water.

"Khenpo?" Huojin looked around for his companion, wondering where the hulking Bison had wandered off to. The young avatar got up from the makeshift bed, and went to search for Khenpo. He walked past the open crates, noticing the many animals that continued to sleep. The Mother Badgermole was watched over by her growing litter, making sure she was protected from possible danger. The Goat Gorilla buried itself under the dried alfalfa, slightly annoyed by the sun's almost-blinding light. Huojin slowed down, and when he heard the whimpering and crying of a few small creatures, the young man smiled, knowing why Khenpo had gone off by himself.

Huojin peeked into the larger crate, and saw what he never expected to witness.

Three Sky Bison calves struggled to stand on their own, but they were all kept away from the outside by their mother, Righty, who was drained of most of her energy. Khenpo watched over two of the calves, who slept on their Father's back.

"So, this is where you've been, huh?" Huojin laughed, carefully walking into the crate, "That explains Righty's weight gain."

Righty snorted, and Huojin grew nervous.

"Just kidding, girl. You look better than ever," he joked, sitting down between the two bison, "Wu-sheng would've loved to see this. He told me about the time he raised you, Khenpo. Your Dad, Subotai, he was a tough Bison, wasn't he?"

Khenpo grunted, the the Bison remembered his own family. Subotai, his own Father, was the Alpha Bison of the herd, and Khenpo's mother, Kanti, was not only respected by humans, but also feared for her aggressiveness.

"Hey, this little guy has a mohawk!" Huojin chuckled as one of the bigger calves tackled him, "We can call this one... Shiraga! Yeah, that's a good name. He's pretty cute, too."

Shiraga jumped away from Huojin, and the calf proceeded to bother his other siblings.

"Five little ones, eh? Man, you two are going to be busy for a while," Huojin sighed, somewhat disappointed that his companion would be busy, "We're gonna need a lot of food for the summer, Khenpo."

 **《** **》**

The President's home was't exactly hidden from the public, but it was hiding in plain sight. The Nigiyaka Quarter was a rich, high-class neighorhood, and those who wanted to live in such a place needed _**millions**_ of Yuans. For the President, however, housing was completely paid for, and the bills were taken care of by his staff.

President Amagawa- whose full name was Okura Amagawa- was the youngest president in United Republic history. At the age of 26, he had done a lot of things within his 3 year term; he had created stricter laws against the Triads, abolished discriminatory laws against non-benders, and helped the Air Nation with rebuilding their once lost society. Okura was a determined man, and with one year left in his term, he planned to do more than President Raiko **ever** did almost three decades ago.

"I'm sorry- you were going to tell me this _ **when**_?" Okura spoke on the phone, demanding an answer from Lieutenant Jeong, "If I may ask, how old is the Avatar?"

 _"Huojin is 18, sir. He's from the city of Piao Li,"_ said Jeong, _"He hasn't learned all of the elements yet, so I think it's best that we-"_

"Let the boy learn through Pro Bending," Okura interrupted, "If it worked with Avatar Korra, it can work with Huojin."

 _"Pro Bending? I was going to advise that we send him to Air Temple Island,"_ Jeong spoke up, _"Wait- ah, **that's right.** He needs to learn the elements in order... I was told that he went into the Avatar State the other night, and he was able to waterbend. Unfortunately, that element has been locked away from him."_

"Raava must have stepped in that time," Okura sighed, "Unless he masters waterbending, he'll be unable to master the element of Air."

 _"So, what do we do?"_ Jeong questioned.

Okura grinned, finally coming up with a solution. "I'll have someone speak with one of the Pro Bending teams," he said, "The sooner Huojin masters all four elements, the better. I have a feeling something is going to happen, and we **won't** get a warning about it," Okura paused to take a deep breath, but he continued, "Drop anchor in Yue Bay, Lieutenant Jeong. I'll be down there in an hour or so."

 **《** **》**

Huojin leaned against the railing of the deck, unable to see through the thick fog. Morning had turned into afternoon, and afternoon had turned into the evening. Even on a gargantuan United Forces ship, there was nothing to do but sit around and just **wait.**

The young Avatar heard a low, guttural, animalistic growl, and it echoed under the deep waters of the ocean. Huojin felt the ship move under him, and he could feel a strong _**spiritual**_ presence in the area. Then, he saw a large island, one covered in trees, mountains, and what looked like an ancient, abandoned city. But, there was something odd about the island.

 _ **It was moving**_.

Before Huojin could blink, the island disappeared into the fog. In its place was a small, floating stone. Huojin, using his earthbending, brought the stone over to him, and when it landed in his hands, he examined the stone, noticing the text that had been engraved into it.

 **火災の都市**  
(CITY OF FIRE)

"Land ahoy!" One of the crew members shouted.

Huojin put the stone in his pocket and looked up, watching as the fog began to dissipate. Skyscrapers and twinkling lights came into view, the Pro Bending Arena was as magnificent as ever, and the light of the Spirit Portal was still glowing bright. Finally, after what seemed like years, Huojin made it to one of the world's most legendary cities.

And in his mind, there were only four words repeating in his mind.

 _ **Welcome to Republic City**_.

 **《** **》**

The ship was towed into Yue Bay, and a group of Metalbending Police officers waited for Team Avatar to disembark. Mako stopped his game of Pai Sho, and turned his attention towards the ship. He wasn't exactly excited to meet the new Avatar, but he always wondered if they would actually have Korra's old memories.

This was something Mako had always doubted.

A boarding platform extended from the ship, and it was securely placed on the lower deck. The crew members were the first to disembark, most of them dragging larger than normal crates behind them. Medics escorted the sick and injured down the platform, being careful not to injure anyone further. Ilio and Tenzin walked down the platform, and Ilio's leg was now in a heavy, orange colored cast. She walked with crutches, and Tenzin made sure she wouldn't fall. Rung followed the two, and Ōkī followed him, lured by the piece of lettuce in Rung's back pocket.

Huojin was the last to exit the ship, carrying a bag of belongings with him. His shirt was wrinkled, his pants were rolled up to his knees, and, of course, he had no shoes to wear whatsoever. The stubble on his chin was gone, and his hair, as usual, was a mess.

 _So, this is the new Avatar_ , Mako thought, _When was the last time he took a bath?_

"Hey, you're Mako!" Huojin exclaimed, sliding down the platform, "I've heard about you! You're the toughest Police Chief in Republic City history!"

"That title goes to Chief Beifong, kid," Mako chuckled, shaking Huojin's hand, "You already know my name, I just don't know yours."

"I'm Huojin!" the young man said, growing excited, "What are we going to do first? Tour the city? I've always wanted to check out the Police station!"

"That's where you're going to go if you don't follow _my_ rules," Mako spoke with a rather serious tone, "I was sent by President Amagawa to escort you _and_ your friends to Air Temple Island. The President will meet you in a week, so _yes_ , you have time to tour the city."

"That's great!" Huojin was happy, "Do you think we can visit the Spirit Portal, too? I've always wanted to see-"

"President Amagawa doesn't want you to wander near the portal... yet. Safety precautions, that's all," Mako advised, and soon turned his attention to Ilio and Tenzin, "You two are in big trouble! You're lucky your parents weren't here to meet you!" he scolded, acting as their 'second-father'.

Ilio hid behind Tenzin, who was, to be honest, actually afraid of Mako.

Mako then spoke with a hushed whisper, one only they could hear, _"Don't worry, I'll keep quiet about this."_

The two siblings nodded, but soon realized that Righty was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, as if she appeared out of nowhere, Righty landed on the deck, and Khenpo was right behind her. The bison calves were on Khenpo's back, practically hanging on for dear-life. They hid under Khenpo's fur, and they appeared to be simple but abnormal lumps under the fur. Huojin knew he would have to explain what had happened, but he couldn't risk losing the calves to anyone. He wanted to raise them, and was afraid that the calves would be divided among those looking for a Sky Bison.

"So... Uncle Mako..." Tenzin broke the silence, "Promise you won't say anything to our parents...?"

 **《** **》**

The streets of Republic City weren't as crowded as they used to be, but every few days or so, there was a _**major**_ traffic jam. Those who had motorcycles were lucky; riders did what what commonly called 'lane splitting', and sometimes it could be _very_ dangerous.

It may have been a crazy idea to most, but lane splitting was meant for some trying to avoid the police.

As a RCPD Truck sat at the stoplight, a gold-trimmed motorcycle pulled up next to it, the mysterious rider waiting for the light to change. The two officers, Metalbending police officers, glared at the rider, coming up with any good excuse to pull him over. Well, that was until they saw the Varrick Global Industries insignia on the motorcycle.

"Wanna see my license?" The rider growled, gold eyes burning through his goggles.

"Just because you're an engineer, doesn't mean I _**can't**_ arrest you, Jiang," said one officer, "Your Dad, Koan, ain't around to protect you anymore..."

As soon as the light turned green, the officer behind the wheel flicked a cigarette at Jiang, and the truck drove off first. Fortunately, Jiang's clothes weren't burnt, but one spot on his black and red, high collared coat jacket was **charred**.

Jiang drove off towards the arena, annoyed by how the Police treated others like complete trash.

The route to the Pro Bending Arena was filled with people and cars. Motorcyclists got by with ease, but Jiang was careful not to hit any car-doors or pedestrians. They were trying to get to what was called 'the match of the century,' and Jiang, like every other lucky person in the city, got his hands on tickets that cost him at least **500 Yuans**.

His younger brother, Kan, was always allowed to attend Junior-League Pro Bending games for free, but rarely went to an _actual_ game such as this one. Jiang and Kan promised to meet each other at the arena, and at the rate he was going, Jiang would be two hours early.

When a whole gang of Ring Tailed Winged-Lemurs flew in front of Jiang, he came to a screeching halt, watching as the lemurs flew off to Air Temple Island. A Polar Bear Dog followed them, trying to chase after the tinier creatures. Jiang continued to drive, but more slowly this time, hoping to avoid hitting a stray animal.

Parking the motorcycle near the side of the arena, Jiang took his goggles off, placing them around his neck. His medium-length black hair was windswept, but not too disheveled. He was a bit cold, and the black tank top he wore under the coat jacket provided very little warmth. Jiang's black pants were somewhat wrinkled, and they were tucked into his boots, which were a mix of gray and black.

As he walked up to the front of the Arena, Jiang stuffed his gloves into his back pocket, making sure they were secure.

There was a line of people at the ticket booth, but the manager was taking tickets faster than any other employee. It took Jiang an extra 15 minutes before he was at the front of the line.

"Tickets, please," said the pug-nosed manager.

Jiang slapped the tickets on the counter, and the manager took them.

"...Hm... your brother is Kan Asano, right? He already went in," the manager spoke, "Aisle #1, seats A2 and A3. You two are right next to Councilwoman Jinora and her family. Have a nice time, sir."

"Thanks," said Jiang, a grin on his face.

He walked into the building, taking a shortcut in order to avoid the crowd. Whenever a security guard came walking down the empty hall, Jiang hid in an open locker, laughing to himself whenever the guard tripped on a leftover candy wrapper.

The Pro Bender's Training Hall wasn't busy, but players from opposing sides either practiced or sparred against each other. Instead of finding his younger brother in the main arena, Jiang found Kan, who sat in the training hall. _Somebody_ had given him a Sea-Salt flavored ice cream bar, which kept the boy occupied.

"Kan!" Jiang walked into the training hall, getting the attention of his little brother, "How did you get in here?"

Kan took one last bite of his ice cream, and threw the stick away. "I won my fan-club's contest! I get to meet the Pro Bending athletes!"

There was no denying it; Kan looked almost like his older brother. His hair was much shorter, but usually kept covered by a tattered baseball cap. Kan's eyes were a bit of a darker gold, and unlike Jiang's eyes, Kan's eyes **weren't** bloodshot most of the time. The boy was tall for his age, 5'5" to be exact, but his clothes were _too big._ His white t-shirt, one with a Bai Luo Bisons emblem on it, was hanging from his shoulders, and his shorts nearly reached down to his ankles.

They **_were_** hand-me-down clothes.

"Your brother is a good kid, and he's a bright one, too," an Airbender said, walking over to Kan and Jiang.

The man was much older than the two, and he was of Earth Kingdom descent. His dark brown hair was slightly shaved on the sides, while the rest was cut short. His eyes were a light green, but one eye was bruised by a hit to the face. The man already had his Airbending tattoos, and despite his age, the arrows were still a bright mix of green and blue.

"I'm the Captain of the Bai Luo Bisons," he smiled, bending down to Kan's height, "You've met my wife, right? She's a nice lady, isn't she?"

Kan nodded, "Jinora is a real tough lady," said Kan, "She likes to talk about you a lot. She even says that if you get hurt, she can definitely replace you."

"Replace me? I'm Kai! I'm the toughest Airbender in the entire world!" Kai joked, "Just... don't tell my daughter I said that. She gets really upset if I steal her title..."

Kan giggled, and Jiang could only smile.

"Hey, Kai! Game starts in an hour!" Kai's teammate, Son-yong, shouted over at him,

"Give me a minute, Son-yong!" Kai shouted back, "Well, I gotta go, kid," Kai said to Kan, "Fist bump for good luck?"

The young boy gave Kai a quick fist bump, and Kai pretended to be hurt, laughing _and_ hissing at the same time. As everyone exited the training hall, Jiang took Kan outside, leading him towards their seats. While Kan couldn't contain his excitement, Jiang did a good job of hiding it, but this was _his_ first Pro Bending game.

He was going to make his co-workers _**jealous**_.

"Jiang, did you bring the buzzer?" Kan giggled.

"I always have the buzzer, little bro," Jiang replied, looking at the cord and button tied around the palm of his hand. It was used to shock people- just enough to make their hair frizz- and the equipment was amplified by Lightning-bending.

The sounds of people screaming and cheering soon became audible. The familiar 'Fire Ferrets' chant wasn't as loud as the 'Bisons' chant, which was accompanied by the Bison War-Horn. When the two brothers entered the arena, they were overwhelmed by the crowd that had showed up.

Jiang and Kan found their seats; they were up in the front row, and the view was absolutely spectacular! But, the reserved seats next to them were empty.

"Kan, stay here for a minute, okay?" Jiang said, "I'll be back with some rock-candy."

 **《** **》**

Fortunately for the siblings, Jinora and Kai weren't on the island when they returned. Air Temple Island had changed over the years, and due to the sudden increase of Airbenders around the world, it was more lively than ever. While Tenzin and Pema moved to Pasang, Meelo remained on the island, and _he_ was the one in-charge of the island.

Instead of being strict, however, he, like his niece, absolutely _**loved**_ to goof off.

"Uncle Meelo, this is Huojin," said Tenzin, introducing his friend to his Uncle, "He's from the city of Piao Li, and... he is the Avatar."

"The Avatar?" Meelo's grin turned into a smile, "I'm gonna guess you don't remember me, right? I was Korra's friend!" Meelo said to Huojin, who shook his head.

"If I had Korra's memories, I would've remembered you, sorry..." said Huojin, but he then gave Meelo a great, big hug, "But it's nice to meet an original Team Avatar member!"

Meelo burst into hysterics as he was lifted from the ground, and he slipped out of Huojin's arms, landing softly on the ground.

The young 9 year old had grown into a 39 year old man, and he was an Airbending master. His hair wasn't shaved, but Meelo allowed it to grow out, and every few weeks he would cut it to keep it short. He easily towered over the three teens, but he wasn't exactly as tall as his brother-in-law, Kai. Instead of wearing the traditional robes an Airbender would wear, Meelo's clothes were loose-fitting; he wore a simple red robe that covered half of his chest, light orange, calf-length shorts, and bandages were wrapped around his ankles and feet.

Like Huojin, Meelo was used to traveling bare-footed, something he was all too used to.

"So, I hear you have trouble learning how to Airbend?" Meelo asked, crossing his arms, "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Huojin. It took Korra a while to learn, and you might be able to master it within a few weeks."

"A few weeks? I remember when I was 3 years old, and I learned how to Firebend in five days!" Huojin was confident, "I'm gonna learn through Pro Bending, right? I've always wanted to pro-bend."

"I... dunno about that. I think you should go to Kai about that," Meelo laughed nervously, "There's two styles to Airbending. The Xunsu Style is pretty swift, and it's kinda like waterbending, but with air. Now, the Jirou Style is the type you're fit for. It's a lot like earthbending, but, again, with air. You can learn than from Kai if you want, or you can learn my style of airbending."

"I think Huojin would be better off learning the Xunsu Style," said Tenzin, attempting to persuade his younger friend, "It's a style similar to what my great-grandfather used, and-"

"You mean _**our**_ great-grandfather," Ilio stepped in, "The Jirou Style is something _**our**_ Dad invented, and I think it would be easier for you to learn it, Jin."

As the two began to fight, Huojin slipped away from them, and stood next to his potential teacher.

"Do they always fight like this?" Huojin asked Meelo.

"They're always like this. When one doesn't agree with the other, it can turn into an all-out war," said Meelo, "They're under a lot of pressure, too. Jinora wants Ilio to attend some fancy school, and Kai wants Tenzin to be a Pro Bender. It's the other way around with those kids, though. Tenzin wants to be a Monk, and Ilio wants to Pro Bend. In a way, they kinda remind me of my kids."

"You have kids?" Huojin became curious.

"Two kids; their names are Deniigi and Kenai," said Meelo, looking down at the leaf-covered ground, "They're at the Pro Bending game with their Mom. If you want, you can meet them after the game."

"I was hoping to meet the whole family," said Huojin, "You know what I mean, right?"

It took Meelo a minute to register it, but he quickly understood. "Right now, things are tense with my Dad and my little brother. If they saw each other again, things might go from bad to worse. Dad was pretty upset when Rohan married Lu Ten, but Mom was on board with the marriage."

When Ilio heard Meelo mention her other uncle's name, she stopped arguing with Tenzin, who wanted to further vent his frustration.

"Is that why Grandpa and Grandma left the island?" Ilio asked, "We all know Uncle Lu Ten isn't a bad guy at all, so why was Grandpa upset?"

"That's something you should be asking Lu Ten, not me, kiddo," Meelo tried to avoid answering the question, "He and Rohan are coming here in a few days, and they just might bring your new baby cousins with them."

"You mean... they have kids now?" Tenzin inquired, raising an eyebrow, "What did they do to acquire actual _kids?_ "

Meelo shook his head, refusing to speak up. "That's another secret," he teased. Looking towards the north, Meelo saw the searchlights at the arena, and decided to say something to his niece and nephew.

"The game is tonight, isn't it? I think your Dad is playing against Bolin's daughter," said Meelo, catching Ilio off guard.

"We're m **ISSING _OUT!_** " She screamed, becoming frantic with each passing second, " **COME ON, GUYS! WE NEED TO LEAVE**. _**N O W!**_ "

 **《** **》**

Huojin created pillars of earth, prompting Tenzin and Ilio to follow him across the ocean waters. Once they reached the back of the arena, Huojin propelled himself up to the window, using his firebending to launch himself in the air. Tenzin gave his sister a boost, and then created a wind tunnel with ease, spinning up until his feet hit the window sill.

Behind them, Rung struggled to climb up, but Shen and Hakoda created an ice ladder, and helped Rung up as soon as they were inside the hall.

"That... is the last time... I leave... my grappling hook... behind," Rung panted, "Thanks for the help, guys."

"Well, ya' could've used those swords of yours, Rung," Shen advised, "C'mon, bud. Seats ain't far from 'ere."

The group snuck through the halls, hoping to avoid the security guards. Within seconds, they reached the main arena, and everything and everyone was basked in the golden light of the monumental chandelier.

"We gotta find some seats!" Huojin had to shout over the screams of the crowd.

"My Mom is around here somewhere!" Ilio shouted back, and then recognized her mother, "She's down there! Follow me!"

The group followed Ilio, but Shen broke away to find _his_ own seat. Hakoda was amazed by how many people were fans of Pro Bending, and this reminded him of when he and his brother were avid Pro Bending 'fanboys'. This was when they were in their teens, which was a time that Hakoda missed.

"Mom!" Ilio exclaimed, and Jinora got up from her seat, turning around to face her daughter.

Jinora had aged quite well, even if she was already 44 years of age. Her black hair was kept in a bun, but she ignored the strands that would fall in front of her face. Usually, she wouldn't wear earrings, but due to the current even, Jinora wore pearl earrings, but no makeup whatsoever. Such an occasion would call for traditional monk robing, but Jinora went with more _simple_ attire; a slim fitting, Bai Luo Bisons shirt, faded green pants, and brown boots. The beaded bracelet her husband had given her was still on her right wrist, and she vowed to **never** take it off.

"Oh, sweetie, you made it!" She hugged Ilio, a big smile on her face, "How was your time with your aunt? I'm guessing you two had fun?"

"Yes, we definitely had 'fun'," Tenzin said, rolling his eyes.

"Spirits, 'Lio, what happened to your leg?!" Jinora became worried when she saw the cast, and Huojin quickly spoke up.

"We were climbing trees! We both fell off, and she broke her leg!" Huojin came up with the excuse, "I'm Huojin! I- ah... met your daughter and son a few days ago."

"Well, aren't you handsome!" Jinora complimented, and Huojin blushed, "It's very nice to meet you, Huojin! And who are your friends here?"

"Jetrung Raikatuji, ma'am," said Rung, trying to act polite for once.

"I'm Hakoda," said the White Lotus member, "Pleasure to meet you, Councilwoman Jinora."

"Psh, please, just call me Jinora!" The older woman giggled, letting everyone sit down, "All of you came just in time! The second round is about to start!"

"Second round? What did we miss?" Hakoda couldn't help but to ask.

"The Fire Ferrets won the first round," Jinora sighed, "Hopefully, the Bisons will take this round. I just want Kai to win his first tournament!"

"We all do, _**mother**_ ," Tenzin groaned, "I just hope he doesn't force me to train this summer."

With the sound of the horn, came the cheering of the masses. The referees took their places, and the opposing teams, the Bai Luo Bisons and the Fire Ferrets, made their way back onto the court.

 _"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back to the second round of the game! I'm Shiro Shinobi Jr.!"_ Shiro's voice echoed throughout the arena, _"With only two rounds left, the Fire Ferrets have already won the first, but the Bai Luo Bisons are known for their resilient and fierce reputation!"_

An airhorn was sounded, and the round began.

 _"Oh! And right off the bat, Li sends two blasts of air at Kai!"_ Shiro exclaimed.

Kai dodged the steam-filled blasts of air, and caught Li off her guard, knocking her down with a bone-crushing gale force wind. The Fire Ferrets' airbender was hit, and sent flying back into the second zone.

 _"What a shocker! For the first time in 3 years, the Fire Ferrets get themselves pushed back into zone two!"_

While fans of the Bisons were ecstatic, Fire Ferrets fans were on the edge of their seats, hoping their team wouldn't lose. The Bisons advanced into zone one of Ferrets territory, and the onslaught continued. Tai-Lim, the Bisons' Earthbender, moved quickly on his feet, and sent two disks of earth hurdling for Khonskhu, the opposing team's waterbender.

 _"If I were Khonskhu, I should've worn extra padding under that helmet of his!"_ Shiro remarked, _"Tai-Lim is no earthbender to mess with! With ten Earth Rumble Tournament wins, and five years in the Jinshu Academy of Piao Li, some call Tai-Lim the human reincarnation of a Badgermole!"_

"Piao Li? I was born there!" Huojin exclaimed, rooting for Tai-Lim, "Get 'em, Lim! _**Win this for the Earth Kingdom!**_ "

Khonskhu ducked and dodged the disks, but one disk hit his knee, and he fell back a few feet, hitting the water that surrounded the court.

"And Khonskhu is out of the second round! With only three players left, the Fire Ferrets need to come up with a strategy, and quick! If they don't, this could mean the end of a 48-0 season streak!"

In another section of the stands- the front row- Bolin and his family watched as their favorite team was being _**pummeled**_.

"C'mon, Li, you can do it!" The younger twins, Toza and Taisho, both screamed to the top of their lungs.

"Go Bisons!" Nima and Tashi shouted.

"Our own kids are turning against us," Bolin groaned, lowering his head in defeat, "I shouldn't have retired so early, Opal."

"We wouldn't have a family if you hadn't retired," Opal spoke up, leaning against her husband, "I made a bet with my Mom and Dad. If the Fire Ferrets lose tonight's game, they want us in Zaofu by next week."

This made Bolin's heart stop.

"Li! Do what I taught you! Dodge and punch! _**DODGE AND PUNCH!**_ " Bolin yelled at his eldest daughter.

This only distracted Li, and she was knocked into the water by what felt like a tsunami of water.

 _"Two down, only two more to go! This is definitely turning out to be a one-sided game, people, and the Bisons are **not** planning to go home **without** advancing to the Golden Tiger Brawl!"_

"Wow, your Dad's team is actually good!" Hakoda said to Tenzin, who only let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm interested in the true form of airbending, and this **isn't** true airbending," said Tenzin, "This is why I like spending time with my Grandfather. Dad doesn't... he just doesn't understand what _I_ want to do with my life."

"Well, I can't exactly help you there. I was raised by my Moms, so I never had a Dad," said Hakoda, "Kai is still your Dad. Don't just lock him out, you have to speak to him about it sometime soon."

Tenzin thought about it for a second, and slowly nodded. "F-Fine, but if it doesn't work, I'm blaming you," he rolled his eyes, and then continued to watch the game.

Haku, the Bisons' own waterbender, was forced to perform a backflip, and avoided what could have been a knockout. But, behind the blast of fire was three Earth disks, and everything seemed to be in slow motion. Haku just stood there, and it felt as if his legs were frozen in place. Kai jumped in front of him; one disk hit his collarbone, the second hit his abdomen, and the last hit his head, the disk lodging itself in his helmet.

Everyone was stunned and shocked at the same time.

"Oi, Lao-che!" Chang, the referee that sported a short chin-beard, shouted down at the Fire Ferrets' earthbender. Pulling out a fan from his back pocket, he gave Lao-che a red fan, automatically ousting the earthbender from the game.

 _"Lao-che is kicked out of the game entirely, which means the Fire Ferrets have lost their strong but stubborn earthbender!"_ Shiro himself was surprised, but worried about Kai, _"But the question that's all on our minds: is the Bisons' team captain okay? This is a live-broadcast, and folks all around the **world** are watching this!"_

Medics rushed to the ring, checking to see if Kai was alright. One medic took off his helmet, and found that some of the glass had gotten into Kai's skin. Fortunately, it had missed his eyes, but the side of his forehead began to bleed. He was knocked unconscious, and his breaths were shaky and shallow.

"M-Mom? Is Dad okay?" Ilio became nervous, trying not to cry.

Jinora didn't know what to say. She knew serious injuries such as this could mean retirement for most players, and Kai wanted to advance to the Golden Tiger Brawl for so many years.

"We need to get him to the hospital," one medic said to another, "He may have fractured skull, maybe internal bleeding. We'll know once we get him to a doctor."

"Right," the other medic said.

They carefully lifted Kai, placing him on a stretcher.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Tai-Lim asked, "We need a Captain."

"Well, you're going to need to find a replacement, and quick!" The referee overheard Tai-Lim, "I'm giving you ten minutes to find an Airbender, or else you're done!"

A security guard walked up behind Chang, and whispered something in his ear.

"Are you sure?" Chang asked, and the guard nodded, "Okay. The lady's got my approval. Make sure she had the right type of armor on; wouldn't wanna get someone else hurt."

 **《** **》**

"Sweetheart, you can not be serious! You still have a bad leg!" Jinora tried to persuade Ilio not to take Kai's place, "Just listen to me for once!"

"Mom, I'm 18. You need to stop worrying!" Ilio said, "My leg should be healed by now, and I've been practicing with Dorjee!"

Ilio winced as a medic took her cast off. Her leg was somewhat healed, but not completely. It was still bruised, but Ilio wanted to ignore the fact that she was still injured. As the medic left the locker room, Chang walked in, a carrying Kai's uniform in his hands. Chang was one of the younger referees, well, more like the _youngest_ referee. He was only 21, so he had quite a while before he could be considered as a 'Professional Ref.'

"Your Dad's helmet was completely destroyed, so we're getting you a new one," said Chang, handing Ilio the uniform, "Sorry about what happened. I should've seen it coming. Trust me, Lao-che is a nice guy, but when he found out about the issues out in the desert, he's been... irritable."

"Desert? You mean the Si Wong Desert?" Jinora questioned, "That was a topic the city council discussed today, and I still can't believe that nobody in Republic City, not even the President, knows about it."

"Knows about what?" Ilio wanted to know.

"This is politics, 'Lio. You'll get stressed out if I have to explain it to you," said Jinora, "Nothing you need to know."

Ilio was _already_ stressed out.

"You've got two minutes to get changed, and three minutes to get back onto the ring," Chang warned, "Knock 'em into the water, kid. I got family living in Tsangpo."

"I'll make sure we win this one," said Ilio, speaking confidently, "They won't even see me coming."

 **《** **》**

Shen had snuck off to the arena's kitchen, where he had met a rather beautiful woman. For a minute, they talked, but the woman's brother was watching from a distance, _and_ he had brought his friends with him. They were _**Triads.**_ But, when the brother began talking to Shen, what could have been a quarrel turned into a conversation, and that conversation turned into an unexpected romantic encounter.

"Shall we take this somewhere more _private?_ " The man asked.

Shen nodded, and felt his own heart jump. "I was gonna ask the same thing."

Shen realized one thing, the man was _**filthy rich**_. He owned one of the private rooms near the roof of the arena, and he had a view of the entire ring below. The room itself was extravagant; the beige carpet was soft, the walls were made from white marble, and the furniture was reminiscent of a mansion in the Earth Kingdom.

"So, your name's Keizo, huh? Ain't ever heard a name like that before," Shen sighed, lying face up in the highly comfortable bed, "How in the world did ya' end up buyin' this fancy room anyway? Secret auction or somethin'?"

"It's something like that, yes," said Keizo, looking out the window, "I spent over a million yuans to get myself out of prison, but I have billions left. Most of it comes from my 'business partner' in Ba Sing Se."

"My 'Pa owns a shop down in the swamp. Unless he's sittin' on Jennamite cave, he ain't worth millions or billions," Shen admitted, "I'm guessin' you wanna create some rules or conditions, right? This is just a one-night thing, 'cause I ain't lookin' to be in a relationship."

"I have quite a few rules to set," Keizo spoke, and sat down on the edge of the bed, "After we do this, you can stay for an hour or so, and then we part ways. If you're feeling uncomfortable, all you need to say is 'juu-san,' and we won't continue. No rough biting, no unnecessary roughness, but you _can_ moan as loud as you want."

"Trust me, I won't be the one moanin' out loud," Shen teased, pulling Keizo roughly towards him, "Let's see how long ya' last."

Suddenly, Keizo kissed Shen without warning, nipping the younger man's bottom lip. In an instant, they both rolled off the bed, and onto the floor, both becoming tangled in the bed sheets. One of Keizo's guards stood outside, trying not to listen to the audible moaning that came from inside the room. Thankfully, the noises were drowned out by the cheers and yells in the main arena, so nobody suspected a thing.

And hopefully, _just hopefully_ , nobody would decide to barge in the room _ **unannounced**_.

Down the hall, a woman charged towards the guard, a look of frustration on her face. It was Jy-ying. She was in the standard United Forces uniform, but a red-cross band was tied around her right arm, and a small bag of supplies was clipped to the side of her belt.

The guard immediately noticed the medic, and he nearly panicked. United Forces officers- including medics- had the authority to detain suspected criminals or belligerent soldiers.

"I know Shen is in there," Jy-ying spoke to the guard, "Let me speak to him."

"No can do, ma'am. He's... busy," said the guard, but this only angered Jy-ying.

"By busy, you mean he's with some other girl, isn't he?" Jy-ying questioned, and she shook her head, "It took me a day to get here; I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I've been vomiting all the way here to the city. I'm leaving for Si Wong in a few days, and Shen better hope that nothing happens to me."

"Really? Why should he worry 'bout some medic?" asked the guard, crossing his arms.

"I've got a human being growing inside of me, that's why!" Jy-ying shouted, "It's... it's Shen's baby. After he left, I thought I was becoming sick. After I went to the doctor, that's when he gave me the 'good news.' If Shen wants to see me again, you tell him to be at the docks by 1100 hours tomorrow."

"11:00 in the morning. Got it. I'll tell 'em," said the guard, "Hey, if you need any help, just go down to Danjuro's Teahouse on 10th and Morusu Street, and ask for Lady Kaneko. She'll help you with anything."

"Th-thanks," said Jy-ying, "I have to go. I'm staying with my parents for a few hours, then I'm leaving Republic City."

She walked down the hallway, and silently she began to cry. Jy-ying had dealt with many people before, but she felt a connection between herself and Shen. If she had known that he would leave after just one date, she would've slipped a bit of Indigo Lotus poison into his tea... not the lethal type, but enough to make him nauseous.

"Oof!" Jy-ying had bumped into someone, and she fell to the floor.

A mysterious, cloaked figure helped Jy-ying up, and then continued to walk right by her. The medic wondered who or what was under the cloak, but she shook her head, ignoring the figure completely.

Then, she looked down, and under her boot was a card. Jy-ying picked it up, and as soon as she had examined it, a mixed look of fear and shock was on her face. She remembered what Tonraq had told her, and the same words replayed in her head.

 _'Red Lotus members tend to carry bands with their insignia on it, and once they pledge their loyalty to the Red Lotus Order, they will do anything and everything to throw the world into anarchy, even if it means turning their back on friends and family.'_

In Jy-ying's hand was the same band, and on it was the Red Lotus insignia.

 **《** **》**

Ilio had a tough time trying to out maneuver the other team. She may have been fast on her feet, but the Fire Ferrets continued to throw everything they had at the Bisons.

"Tai-Lim!" Ilio shouted at her teammate, who launched disk after disk of Earth, "Give me a hand!"

"Got it, boss!" Tai-Lim shouted back.

The two moved closer together, and at the same time they launched a barrage of attacks, breaking the opposing team's line of defense. Dorjee, the firebender of the Fire Ferrets, was hit without warning, and fell into the water. It was just two players now; Li and Khonskhu.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's a four against two game! If Khonskhu and Li are knocked out in this round, it's all over for the Fire Ferrets!"

"Get 'em, sweetheart!" Jinora cheered for her daughter, "Win this for the Air Nation!"

Tenzin, however, was unimpressed, but in his mind he actually hoped his younger sister would win.

"That's your daughter?" Jiang, who sat right next to Jinora, asked her.

Jinora nodded, and Jiang smiled.

"Well, she's definitely a fighter. I've never seen someone fight against the Fire Ferrets like this," said Jiang.

"The pretty lady is going to win!" Kan interrupted, "Go Bisons, _**go!**_ "

That's when things took a turn for the worst.

Tai-Lim and Haku were both hit, and the two hit the water. Son-yong, the Bisons' firebender, and Ilio were the only ones left of their team. It had become a two on two game. Son-yong went on the offensive; she sent blast after blast of fire, but moved in a zig-zag pattern within the territory.

In the stands, Mako watched from the row behind the front, and he had immediately recognized the tactic that Son-yong was using.

"Hey, Chief, ain't that the strategy you used in your last season?" one of the Metalbending officers asked.

"Yes, it was," said Mako, "Aren't you supposed to be watching Aisle 17, Sergeant Tokuda?"

"Whaddya mean, Chief? Officer Ts'ong said you wanted me to watch this aisle," said Tokuda, "I'm gonna guess the kid gave me the wrong message, didn't he?"

"I never told him to send you up here," Mako became suspicious, "Sergeant, where's Officer Ts'ong?"

"The rookie is right over there," Tokuda pointed towards the Aisle next to them, only to find that the officer was missing, "That's weird... I just saw him a few minutes ago."

"Sergeant, call for backup," Mako advised, "Something's about to happen, and I don't want to be unprepared for it. Tell HQ to send a few trucks, and I want a few Fire Trucks and Ambulances down here, too."

"Chief, I dunno about-"

"Tokuda, that's an _ **order**_ ," Mako growled, "Get to the CB Radio, right now."

"On it, Chief!" Tokuda ran off, heading to the security station.

Mako knew something was wrong, he could feel it. But, as Chief of Police, even his authority was limited. Shutting down the arena wasn't an option, and he would probably get calls and hate-mail from Pro Bending mega-fans, who would be upset that the 'game of the year' was postponed.

For now, he had to keep quiet.

 _"And at the same time, Son-yong and Khonskhu knock each other out of the game! It's a one on one match, which means it's time for the tiebreaker!"_

The airhorn sounded, and the two players left stepped towards the middle of the ring, and the platform rose up by a few feet. A single skylight shined down on the ring, and everyone became silent, wondering who would win the game.

"No headshots, and no foul play!" Chang shouted down at the two, "Whoever wins this, wins the entire game for their team!"

While Li was ready to attack, Ilio braced herself, planning her strategy to beat her opponent. Somewhere within the arena, someone began to play the Tanggu Drums; the tempo began to speed up, and this continued for a good minute.

When the airhorn went off, the match began.

Ilio nearly fell off the platform when she was hit with a blast of air, but she quickly recovered, knocking Li off her feet. The other airbender landed on her side, and she swore she felt a bone break. Instead of giving up, Li continued to fight, as if her own life depended on it. Ilio's injured leg began to cramp, and she ignored it, but one part of her knew it would give out soon.

 _"This is a close game, folks! It's airbender vs airbender! And I've just received word that this is the most-watched broadcast of all time! Over 80 million people are watching this from home!"_

With a sickening and highly audible crack, Ilio's leg broke, and she fell on the platform. Before Li could send her falling to the bottom ring, Ilio hit Li with a strong, powerful gale force wind, and Li was the one who fell.

Everyone went silent.

Chang blinked a few time, wondering if this was all a dream. It was all real, and this was really happening.

"That's the game!" Chang shouted, " **Bai Luo Bisons win 3-1!** "

The whole arena erupted into cheers. Even loyal fans of the Fire Ferrets appreciated the fighting spirit of the Bai Luo Bisons, and the Police officers who watched whistled and clapped for the Air Nation's first Pro Bending team.

"I can't believe it! The Bai Luo Bisons win the game! For the first time in over a decade, the Fire Ferrets will not advance to the Golden Tiger Brawl! Kai may be the captain of the Bisons, but his own daughter managed to pull of what most could call an impossible achievement!"

Ilio smiled and waived to everyone, but when the adrenaline went away, the pain quickly kicked in, and she began to cry tears of joy _and_ discomfort.

"That's one tough girl," Chang said to himself, impressed by Ilio's strength, "Maybe I should ask her... no, she wouldn't want to go on a date with me, I might be too old for her. But she looks like a college girl, so maybe she's old enough? Fine... I guess I'll... have to at least ask her out."

 **《** **》**

The cloaked figure climbed the ladder to the broiler room, carrying a strange, ancient book in its hands. They sat near the vent, the within seconds, the whole room went from warm to _**absolutely freezing.**_ The figure pulled up the sleeves of their coat, revealing heavily scarred arms.

 _ **"Phirtā ga'ēkā garna lāgyō thi'ē hunēharūkō lyā'una; pānī kō dājubhā'i, ēka paṭaka āphnō bandhana gumā'ēkā bhā'iharūlē,"**_ he spoke in an unknown language, and the book opened by itself, _**"Tinīharū andhakāramā ātmākō sēvā chaina, na ta tinīharūlē Vaatu sēvā garnēchan. Tinīharūlē garna cāhanubha'ēkō thi'ē tinīharūlē garnēchan; avatāra kṣamā, ra śi - uttama lāgi uhām̐lā'ī bacā'una."**_

The page that the wooden book had turned to was a thin, brittle piece of paper. On the page was a painted picture, one that took up two pages. Two tan arms were tied together by a strong rope; tattooed on one arm was Tui, and tattooed on the other was La. But, in the background, two brothers were separated by ice, and they drifted away from each other.

 _ **"Tapā'īṅkō kṣamā kamā'una,"**_ the figure spoke with a whisper, _**"Niskanē ā'unuhōs, bhā'iharū!"**_

Light erupted from the book, and two shadows appeared. Almost immediately the strange beings had taken shape, and then collapsed to the floor with a hard thud. The light disappeared, and two men stood up, both disorientated and confused.

 _ **It was Noatak and Tarrlok.**_

However, the two looked different. Their clothes were tattered, their veins glowed an unusual cyan blue, their eyes were a pale blue, and their teeth were somewhat sharp, similar to the sharp canines of wolves.

"You know what to do," said the cloaked figure, speaking with a strong accent, "Find him."

With speed, the brothers made their way to the main arena, climbing up the stairs on all fours. Somehow, the cloaked being had brought the supposedly deceased men back to life, but they weren't even _close_ to human. Whatever they were turned into, they were twisted, confused, warped into beasts of the night. It was unclear if their memories were still intact, but they only had one objective.

 **Find the Avatar.**

 **《** **》**

As everyone celebrated in the arena, Huojin sat on top of the roof, watching the twinkling lights of the big city. He wanted to get away, tour the city by himself. He knew Mako would have the entire Police force looking for him, so Huojin stayed, not wanting to give the middle aged man a heart attack.

"I've seen better views before."

Huojin raised his head, wondering who had spoken to him. He felt an even stronger spiritual presence, and wondered if it was one of his past reincarnations.

"Republic City is a big place, Huojin. If I were you, I'd be careful. You never know what's lurking in the shadows and alleyways."

"Kiyoshi?" Huojin called out, "Is that you?"

"What? No. You... didn't hear anything. Just another voice... in you're head..? Yep, just a voice in your head."

"Korra!" Huojin became excited, a smile on his face, "Where are you? I can't see you!"

"Right here, kiddo."

Huojin felt a slap on his back, and he turned around, facing Korra's spirit for the first time in a decade. She had aged, but when Korra had died, she still looked young. Her hair was still short, and there were some streaks of grey in her hair. Her blue eyes had lost their youthful glow, but Huojin failed to notice this. Korra wore attire similar to what a middle-ring Ba Sing Se citizen would wear, but in the colors of the Southern Water Tribe.

"I wasn't exactly planning on wearing this," Korra chuckled, "I wore this during my last days as the Avatar. Asami wanted to go on a vacation, so we took our family to Shengda City for a couple of days. I'm pretty sure you've heard of that place, right? A certain Earth Rumble contestant you know used to-"

"My Dad lived in Shengda City," said Huojin, motioning for Korra to sit next to him, "He was born and raised there, but he met my Mom in Zaofu. You knew them?"

"Yeah, and he was young to be a Father at his age. You know your Mom, Nyima, was only 19 when she was 9 months pregnant, right?" Korra told Huojin, "She wanted you to be a Waterbender, but Guangli wanted you to be an Earthbender."

"Well, at least they got what they wanted, right?" Huojin laughed, "So, you knew my parents before I was born? What about my Grandma and Grandpa? I'm guessing they were younger, right?"

"Chu-hua and Jhong-shu were _amazing_ people, and they watched my kids for a few days while Asami and I toured the city," said Korra, remembering her final days with her wife, "How are your Grandparents doing, Jin?"

"Grandpa turned 83 a few months ago, and Grandma is 79. They're doing pretty well for old timers," Huojin said, "Korra, what happened to you? How did you end up... you know..."

"It's a long story, Huojin. One that could probably fit into a book," she said, "Ever since I was poisoned by the Red Lotus, I had nightmares almost every night. I couldn't sleep, I could barely eat, and I was slowly killing myself with stress. It wasn't until I turned 23 that the nightmares stopped."

"What happened then?" Huojin became curious.

"My son, Tonraq, was born," Korra spoke, letting out a long sigh, "By then, I realized that I was only fighting with myself, and it needed to just **stop**. I forgave a lot of people who caused me pain, and I started getting better after that. But, the hardest thing I ever had to do was forgive Zaheer. After what he did to me, I wanted him to rot in prison. After I realized what _he_ had gone through at my age, I let him go to the Spirit World."

"You mean... you let him break out of prison?" Huojin didn't know if he was supposed to react angrily to this, or let her speak.

"I let him free, and I faced the consequences for it," said Korra, "As the Avatar, you have responsibilities, but letting someone suffer isn't one of them. Sometimes, you just need to forgive and forget, which is _exactly_ what I did."

Huojin was about to speak up about it, but he kept his mouth shut, and slowly blinked. "I used to read about Zaheer in the scrolls," he said, "I read about most of the people you fought back then. Noatak and Tarrlok, the Red Lotus, Kuvira... How did you manage to beat them all?"

"With courage, determination, and my friends," said Korra, "None of it was easy, Huojin. Even if your enemies aren't as powerful as the ones I faced, you're going to need as much support as you can get. Nobody can fight alone, even if they're-"

Suddenly, Korra became silent, and looked around, sensing something or someone around them. They were being watched, and she didn't like it.

"Huojin, are you friends up here?" she asked.

"No, I came up here alo-" Huojin could sense the tension as well, and he stood up, ready to attack, "Korra, I think you should go."

Korra nodded, slowly fading away. "Be careful, Huojin. Don't get to careless," she warned, and finally disappeared.

Noatak was the first to appear out of the shadows, slowly walking towards Huojin. He bared his sharp teeth, letting out a low guttural growl. Tarrlok came up behind Huojin, climbing up the railing, and snapped at the young Avatar, nearly biting the back of his neck.

The brothers reminded Huojin of wolves; they were feral, aggressive, and could kill you with ease. He sent a wave of fire at the resurrected men, and they both yelped, feeling the heat of the flames. They quickly recovered from the attack, and the leftover flames caused their eyes to flicker.

Huojin ducked as Tarrlok lunged for him, but felt no teeth dig into his skin whatsoever. Instead, Tarrlok tackled what looked like an even larger beast, a _**dark spirit.**_ It appeared, turning into a nightmarish monster. The creature had four arms, all had sharpened claws. Its head was similar to that of a spider's, but foam and black liquid poured from its fangs. The monster's spine and ribcage was completely visible, making it vulnerable, and even more grotesque looking.

Tarrlok was thrown down and pinned, the dark spirit ready to kill the other. Noatak attacked, teeth digging into the spirit's arm. The beast cried out in pain, trying to pull Noatok off. The brothers made their attack, and Huojin decided to help, wondering why his past reincarnation's enemies were **helping _him._** Huojin, using his Metalbending skills, took the bars from the railing and wrapped them around the dark spirit, trapping its arms and legs. But, one arm remained free, and the spirit swung at Noatak and Tarrlok, sending them flying into a concrete barrier. They were buried under the falling debris, and Huojin thought it was _impossible_ for someone to survive a hit like that.

A part of him hoped they were alive.

"We aarree Xukooong Shoouuu..." The monster growled, as if multiple people were speaking at the same time, "...Youuuu will be a paaart of usssss ssooon..."

"If you think I want to turn into an ugly spirit, you're wrong!" Huojin felt nauseous, his stomach twisting and turning. He dealt the last blow, sending the spirit falling over the edge of the roof. With an ear-splitting scream, it plummeted to the ground, hitting the concrete with a sickening, echoing thud. Huojin took a deep breath and looked down, watching as Police cars and armored trucks surrounded the dark spirit. It quickly deteriorated, turning into nothing but bones and withered flesh.

Huojin quickly turned back, and lifted the rubble off the two men, running over to check on them. They reverted back to normal humans, back to the way they were almost 30 years ago; young but _confused._ They were both injured, and they were unconscious, unable to respond to Huojin.

"Okay, guys, let's get you two to a hospital, yeah?" Huojin struggled to lift both of them up, but he managed to do so, "Just keep breathing. We're not that far from help..."

As Huojin rescued the brothers, in the distance, another watched silently as they stood on top of a skyscraper. A straw Kasa hat covered their eyes, and wrapped around their shoulders was a hooded, black cloak, and it was somewhat tattered. The person removed their hat, tying it around their neck so it wouldn't fly away. The man, a young man, had a look of concentration on his face, focusing his attention on Huojin.

"Fu-gin?" A younger boy, a teen, tapped the other's shoulder, "You seem troubled."

With an archery-glove covered hand, Fu-gin pointed out towards the stadium, showing the teen what he saw.

"Arena trouble, Fei," said the archer, "Look."

Fei was shorter than Fu-gin, but only by a foot or so. Fei's jet-black hair was cut short, and, by the looks of it, it had been recently trimmed. His eyes were an unusual color; most would mistake his eyes for a dark brown, but they were almost pure black, but with a few flecks of blue. He wore a cloak similar to Fu-gin's, but it was a lighter brown, and _cleaner._

"Do you think..." Fei paused, looking out at the arena.

Fu-gin could only nod. "He has arrived," he spoke, "Along with _**my**_ brother."

* * *

 **A/N:** _Twelve thousand. Twelve thousand words I had to put into this chapter, and i **T WAS WORTH IT.**_

 _Hey, it's Karmaisms! I am back with another chapter of 'The New Era', and I feel better than ever! First of all, I'd like to thank my best friend Talar for encouraging me to continue to write! She is an amazing person, and she's just awesome!_

 _Anyway, this chapter was a **doozy** to write! I nearly skipped out on a few outings with my family to write this, but I managed to finish this chapter! This was originally going to be separated into four to five different parts, too. When I started binge-watching the Legend of Korra, I decided to put the five chapters into one! It worked, but at the expense of my fingers. _

_So, this chapter took a rather dark turn near the end... I apologize if I have made anyone cringe or feel nauseous, but this story is definitely going to deal with some serious issues and other topics that need to be addressed. Fortunately, and unlike Bryan Konietzko and Michael Di Martino, I don't work for Nickelodeon!_

 _So they can't send a long letter to my house telling me about 'kids are watching this' or 'tHIS IS A FAMILY FRIENDLY SHOW.'_

 _This story is for everyone to read! Well, unless you're upset that **Makorra wasn't endgame.**_

 _In this chapter, you got a glimpse of how fantastic (and dangerous) Republic City's nightlife can be! Bolin and Opal have way too many kids, the RCPD hires some pretty bad people, the Fire Lion Turtle has made an appearance, Jy-ying is pregnant with Shen's baby (no surprise there, TBH), and Noatak and Tarrlok are back!_

 _Hey, there will be one saying that's going to apply to the blood-bending brothers: **"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."**_

 _Welp, I need some sleep, and I need to study for GAM with my Girl Scout Troop. Make sure to read and review! Some creative criticism is okay, and it helps me with my writing!_

 _Goodnight, guys!_

 _ **-Karmaisms.**_


	7. Six: Angered Spirits

The arena had been overrun by corrupted spirits, the dazed and confused civilians struggling to escape the danger. Police Officers could barely contain the situation, and the Metalbending officers had been grounded, the rafters of the stadium flooded by dark, shadowy creatures with murderous intentions.

The cloaked figure pushed past people, trying to remain incognito among the people. He glanced at the officers that rushed by him, and he knew that his chances of leaving were growing slim by the minute. He walked outside, trying to avoid gaining unwanted attention.

Bumping into someone, the man kept silent, but the adolescent he had accidentally hit quickly apologized.

" **Hey** , I said I'm sorry."

The figure ignored him, but his arm was grabbed.

"Are you deaf or something?"

"No, I am not," the cloaked man whispered, "Let go of me, _**Huojin**_."

Huojin blinked once, and he could already hear the alarms in his head go off. Being the 'hit first and ask questions later' type of young man he was, Huojin jumped back, and uprooted the earth from under the man, imprisoning him in the rock. Onlookers rushed to get to safety, and officers took notice, rushing to the scene.

"Huojin, what's going on?!" Mako shouted, pushing the young avatar back, "You can't attack an unarmed civilian!"

"He's no civilian, Mako!" Huojin shouted back, nostrils flaring, "He caused all of this! People could've **died**!"

" _ **Stand down**_ ," Mako growled, "I don't want to arrest you, Huojin."

Within seconds, the ground under them began to crumble away, and it was Huojin who fell into the unknown. He landed in a dark cave, and the hole above him was closed by a cooling lava. Huojin kept calm, and closed his eyes, using his other senses to find a way out. He slammed his foot down on the ground, everything around him reverberated. Huojin knew that he was trapped in a crystal cave, and getting out wasn't going to be easy. Using his firebending, he kept a ball of fire contained in the palm of his hand, but the crystals began to glow, startling the young man.

Huojin went further into the cave, the dirt crunching under his bare feet. Blocking his path were large boulders, ones that had just recently been moved. With ease, Huojin knocked the boulders out of the way, and what he saw next mesmerized him. The cave that he was in was only a tunnel, and it had led to a rather extravagant underground grotto. Jennamite crystals shot out from the ground and walls, statues of great spirits were carved into the rocks, and a small ball of earth levitated only feet above the ground. It was, at first, a normal ball of rock, but in a split second, it had turned into lava, and then into metal.

"You know the ways of the Earth Lion Turtle," a booming voice spoke, "But you are not strong like the earth under your feet."

An earth pillar had hit Huojin in the back, and he was sent flying towards the middle of the grotto. Landing head-first, he let out a groan of pain and discomfort, but he got up and shook it off, trying to regain his balance and awareness of his surroundings.

Dropping down to the ground, the mysterious man faced Huojin, but did not make any moves to attack the Avatar. Huojin tried to hit the figure in the face, but the man sent him back with a powerful gust of air, and he could only chuckle.

"Do you not know what this place is?" he questioned, moving away from Huojin, "This is the home of the Earth Lion Turtle. In this grotto, you have **no** power, you have _**nothing.**_ "

"Oh _really?_ " Huojin cocked an eyebrow, ready to imprison the man once more, "We'll see about _**that**_!"

He attempted to bend the earth under him, but nothing had happened. Huojin tried once, twice, _three times_ , but nothing happened.

 ** _He was powerless_. **

"And the bull-headed Avatar just won't listen," the man laughed, "Oh, if only you wouldn't have taken the art of bending for granted."

"What are you talking about? Who are you?!" Huojin demanded answers, "Are you with the Red Lotus?"

"I am not with the Red Lotus, nor am I with the White Lotus. I am not the one trying to kill you, but I am simply... the man sent to test you," he muttered, "Let us start with the first trial, yes?"

Before Huojin could speak, the man moved with an almost inhuman speed, and jabbed the young Avatar in the stomach. In mere seconds, he hit the pressure points located near Huojin's chest, neck, and one near his head, causing the boy to enter the Avatar State. Somehow, and for some strange reason, Huojin felt his own spirit grow _stronger_.

Without warning, he collapsed, but his eyes continued to glow. Raava tried to gain control of Huojin, wanting to help him to safety. It was of no use.

Huojin was in the Spirit World.

 **《 》**

 _Standing on a glowing path, Huojin looked down, only to see what looked like an endless, breathtaking void of dark purple turning into black. He walked down the path, but it felt as if he was walking on air, as if the ground itself wasn't even under him. In front of Huojin was... himself. It was his spirit. The spirit loomed over him, eyes glowing bright, and a white aura surrounded the spirit._

 _ **"Three lives have returned, but many remain,"** said the large spirit of Huojin, **"The broken chain is slowly being mended again, and this is all thanks to our efforts."**_

 _"W-What?" Huojin's eyes widened, realizing what his spirit had just said, "That means... Roku, Kyoshi, and Kuruk are back?"_

 _ **"As spirits, yes. Our connection with Raava is slowly being repaired, and it may take years before we can reconnect with our past lives. If we die before that happens, there won't be another Avatar,"** Huojin's spirit warned, **"Old threats of our past lives are returning. Some will chose to aid us in the near future, but others will chose the path of vengeance. We need to be ready for an attack."**_

 _"But I haven't mastered all four elements yet! What if I'm going against Waterbenders or something? Fire is useless against water, and earth can be destroyed by ice spikes!" Huojin argued._

 _ **"Then we need to learn the element of Water,"** said the spirit, **"The two brothers we just saved might be able to help you. But, Mako is hellbent on being the judge, jury, and the executioner in their case."**_

 _"I'll stop him," Huojin sighed, "Noatak and Tarrlok have been through too much already. What happens in the past **stays** in the past."_

 _Huojin's spirit nodded in agreement. **"We will see each other again... soon enough,"** his voice began to fade, **"Our friends are waiting for us on the other side."**_

 _The spirit had disappeared, and a bright light took his place. The light began to grow, and it engulfed everything, including Huojin. When the path under him had faded away, he didn't fall, but instead began to float, and it felt as if he was on a soft, invisible cloud._ _Ah, that's what he had long missed: a comfortable bed. Memories of Piao Li flashed in Huojin's mind. The fresh smell of rain and mud, the endless view of the terraced rice paddy fields, the soothing rustling of the maple trees, Huojin missed all of it. Closing his eyes, he dreamt of what would've happened if he had stayed a little longer._

 _As he drifted off to sleep, he felt his body become heavy, but he didn't even bother to open his eyes, let alone move a muscle._

 _Sleep. All he wanted to do was **sleep**._

 **《 》**

"He has to be somewhere around here!" Mako became frustrated as the search for Huojin continued, "We need to keep looking!"

It had already been 5 hours, and Huojin was nowhere to be found. The RCPD used motorboats to search the waters, and the United Forces used their airships to search from the skies. Hakoda was already tired. He swam deep underwater, looking for old cave openings that his Mother, Asami, had told him about.

Hakoda came up for air, and before he could dive back down once again, he saw a man in the water, but it was as if he was levitating above it. Hakoda could make out what the stranger was saying, and he recognized it as an ancient language, but not even he could decipher what sounded like complicated and complete gibberish.

 ** _"_ _Pānī dēkhi ēka viśāla vr̥d'dhi hunēcha. Yasakō prārambhika nidhana badalā khōjcha. Mahān Uniter hātamā garēra, yō alaga bhatābhuṅga bha'ēkō thiyō,_ "** the man spoke, the water around him beginning to bubble, **_"_ _Ēka jaṅgī jahāja yasalā'ī hunēcha, tara ēka ātmā yasakō kām̐dha bāṭa dukhā'i ucālna sakcha, ra yasakō hr̥daya halkā hunēcha."_**

From the deep waters of the ocean, vines shot up from the ocean floor, forming into a monstrous body. These spirit vines weren't green, but they were glowing red, a purple aura forming around them. Seaweed and moss hung from the monster's arms, and the water slowly crept up its body, completely engulfing the spirit vines. Once the glowing marks began to appear, and the monster's eyes had turned white, Hakoda swore that his heart had nearly stopped beating, and his eyes widened in fear and utter shock.

It was a corrupted La: one of the Water Tribe's most **sacred** spirits.

La swung at the boats in the water, and it brought the airships down into the cold ocean, the officers and United Forces soldiers unable to stop the spirit. Not even the strongest of the Metalbending Elites could bring the spirit down, and it tugged at the lines of metal, sending the officers flying into the waters.

Hakoda tried everything he could to stop La, freezing the water around the spirit, but the ice was easily broken. The waterbender was knocked out of the water when an ice pillar came up from under him, and he flew towards the rocky shoreline of Air Temple Island. He created an ice slide; it wasn't exactly a soft landing, but it broke his fall, and he avoided what could have been a slow, agonizing, painful death.

Tendrils of water grabbed the officers in the boats, dragging them down into the now murky depths of the ocean. Mako was one of many who had been grabbed, and he held his breath, trying to keep himself calm. His heart slowed, his lungs began to collapse, and he movements were slowly coming to a halt. Some of the officers were waterbenders, and they created spheres of air around their heads. The metalbenders used the metal cords they had to free themselves, and they swam towards the top.

Mako, however, was a firebender. Lightning-bending was out of the question, and nobody, not even Mako, could firebend _**underwater.**_

 _ **It was absolutely impossible.**_

The tendril that held Mako down had loosened its grip, and he was pulled up to the surface. Once he breached the water, Mako took a long, deep breath of fresh air, his lungs hungry for the oxygen.

"You're lucky I got here in time," Tonraq spoke, swimming towards a board of ice, "Can you stand?"

Mako nodded, but he was still a bit disorientated.

"Good," said Tonraq, "Because Huojin needs a much help as he can possible get." Tonraq pointed in the opposite direction, "Over there."

After getting himself onto the board, Mako turned his head, and what he saw nearly shocked him. Rising from the sands of the shoreline, Huojin opened his eyes, and they glowed brighter than before. This attracted La, and the spirit went towards the young Avatar, feeling threatened by Huojin's spiritual energy. Huojin levitated from the ground, a large sphere of air forming around him. Then, pieces of earth spun around the sphere, and soon, rings of fire and water began to form around him.

La attacked Huojin, sending ice and water careening towards him. The Avatar blocked everything with walls of earth, and he trapped La in the sand, forcing the ocean waters to recede. The spirit was trapped, but it let out a roar of defiance, continuing to attack and fight. But, La had suddenly stopped, the spirit's red aura beginning to flicker. Huojin sensed something was wrong, and felt his own heart stop for a split second. He flew towards La, and pressed his hands against its head, memories rushing through his mind. Now, he finally understood why the spirit was so _**angry**_. Unalaq had upset the spirits, but it an offshoot of Kuvira's Army that had did something to La's counterpart: Tui. They had been separated. La was left scarred and bloodied in the waters, but Tui had disappeared, taken from the Northern Water Tribe.

Huojin began to cry, feeling the same pain that La had felt for what could have been _**years**_.

Using the elements, Huojin began to bend them around La, the mixture of sand, fire, water, and the air turning into a bright, fluorescent light. The dark energy that had fueled La began to morph, and the spirit turned black, eyes and markings finally glowing white, and the aura around it turning white. Knowing that the rage had been dispelled, Huojin freed La, and the spirit blinked, sadness and sorrow in its eyes. It looked out to the ocean, and saw the damage it had done, watching as the water became black due to the oil seeping from the destroyed boats and downed airships. The powerful waterbender began to push the wreckage out to the open waters, but brought back those who were trapped under the metal. La made sure that every surviving officer and soldier made it to shore, and thankfully, nobody was left behind. La cleared the waters of the oil, the ice, and soon enough it was sparkling under the full moon once again.

Then, something in the waters dove out, and then back into the ocean.

It was a white fish, a white Koi, one with very distinct markings. Once it began to glow, La glowed as well, and as Huojin returned to normal, La grew smaller as it went out into the water. It became the black Koi once again, and within seconds, it disappeared under the water, two pairs of fins visible to everyone on the beach. Tui and reunited with La, and left to return to their home, both content and peaceful again. Although, Huojin wondered if they were going to return to the Northern Water Tribe. Even he knew that tensions between the Southern and Northern Tribes were at a dangerous level, so what would happen if a fishing boat from the South happened to catch Tui and La? Huojin didn't want to think about it. He hoped that the spirits would return home safely, and **without** trouble whatsoever.

Turning back to the survivors, Huojin watched as paramedics rushed down to the beach, reinforcements from the RCPD arrived, and a crowd of people gathered to see what was going on.

"I underestimated you, Huojin."

Huojin turned to Tonraq, and the young man's jaw nearly dropped. A fresh, new, diagonal scar on was Tonraq's face. It traveled from the bridge of his nose, to his right cheek, and blood dripped down onto the sand below.

"You're stronger than I originally thought," Tonraq admitted, "Korra would've been proud to know how powerful her successor was..."

Tonraq winced in pain, and before he could collapse, Huojin caught him, strong enough to hold the waterbender up. Huojin slowly and carefully lifted his right hand, and saw the blood that covered his palm. Tonraq was wounded in more places than one, and he wasn't going to last long without medical attention.

"We got 200 survivors, and over 100 injured!" a Metalbending Lieutenant shouted, "Call Hokusai Med and tell 'em to get the E.R ready! We might need to take half of these guys to Tokaji Med in Dragon Flats!"

 **《 》**

Asami awaited anxiously in the hospital waiting room, wondering if her sons would survive the night. Ever since she lost Korra, she constantly worried about her children and their well-being. Tonraq and Hakoda were White Lotus sentries, and being the protector of the Avatar meant the risk of sacrificing their own lives. Aya was on the Zaofu Guard, and Katara was with the United Forces; even though one job was tougher than the other, being in the line of fire was always a possible risk.

Asami would be absolutely _**heartbroken**_ if anything happened to her children.

Hearing the door open, Asami looked up to see the doctor, and she stood up, hoping to hear some good news for once.

"Good to see you again, Ms. Sato," said the doctor, a clipboard and pen in his hands, "Your sons were lucky to get here in time. Tonraq was many wounds, most have put him in between stable and critical condition. For now, he's fine, and his estimated recovery time is about... 10 to 18 weeks."

Asami let out a sigh of relief, but waited for news of her other son, Hakoda.

"Hakoda is in stable condition, but his spinal cord was damaged. Not severely, but enough to force him to use crutches for a month or so. We don't know the extent of the damage yet, but we will find out once we drain the excess blood from around his spine," the doctor spoke.

"Can I see them?" Asami asked, hoping to get the approval she wanted.

"They're both in the same room," the doctor spoke, opening the door for Asami, "If you want, I can have a nurse bring you a cot and a blanket. We're allowing families to stay with loved ones in the hospital."

"Y-Yes, I'd like that," said Asami, "Thank you, Doctor."

 **《 》**

The pain was absolutely _unbearable_.

Hakoda painfully sat up, gritting his teeth as he did. In his right hand was a small remote with a black knob, two buttons, and a meter. It was attached to an IV cord, which had been inserted into Hakoda's vein. It was the control for the amount of morphine he received, and as he cranked the dial to a good but risky 28%, the contents of the IV bag were slowly emptied into his vein, and he felt some of the pain turn into a dull, tingling sensation.

He became groggy, vision blurred, speech slurred, but he felt calmer than before. Before he could close his eyes to sleep, the door slid open, and Asami walked inside, heels clicking against the linoleum floor.

"Ma? Is that you?" Hakoda slurred, blinking slowly, "Where have you been? Tonraq became grumpy when you left us...?"

'Ma' was the name that Hakoda always used to address Korra, but Asami grinned, and he moved a chair over to her son's bedside.

"I didn't wanna leave home, but Tonraq made me... I wanted t'be like my big bro, and it made you and Mom happy, right? I finally became a man like you wanted me to," said Hakoda, crossing his arms, "But, _nooooo_. You insisted that I'd be a Pro Bender instead, but I wanted **more** of the action! The White Lotus is waaaaay cooler than some dumb job at Mom's company, too."

"Hakoda, you need to-"

"Nah, I don't feel like sleeping. I'm not tired," Hakoda groaned, "Sometimes I wonder if you and Mom wanted me to be like Tonraq; boring, _salty_ , and a pain right in the **_neck_**."

"Don't say that about your brother!" Asami became furious, but Hakoda let out another groan of frustration.

"C'mon, Ma. Everyone knows that Mom favored Tonraq. _He_ was always the popular one," Hakoda glanced over at Tonraq, who struggled to breathe on his own, "Why can't I get some recognition for what I've done? I ran the Southern Water Tribe for a day, and nobody complained to Grandpa and Grandma! The new Avatar is way better than- _better than_..."

Hakoda blinked a few times, finally coming to his senses. His jaw nearly dropped, and he couldn't believe what he had said to his own **mother.** Hakoda coughed, wiped a few tears from his face, and muttered under his breath, quickly apologizing to Asami.

"M-Mom, I didn't mean to-"

"Come on, little brother... you... need to stop apologizing so much," Tonraq interrupted, speech slurred as well, "You probably feel better than me right now... I can't even feel my side."

"Keep poking it until it turns red," Hakoda joked, causing Tonraq to chuckle softly.

"I... just might do that," replied Tonraq, and the two brothers joked around, prompting Asami to smile.

"I never thought I'd see you two get along with each other," Asami admitted, remembering the days when Tonraq and Hakoda used to fight almost daily, "Korra would be proud to see how her sons have grown so much. If my Father was still alive, he'd be happy to see that his grandchildren are making this world safer."

"But that Civil War in Si Wong isn't making things better," Hakoda spoke, "I just hope the President dismisses that dumb Conscription Act, Mom. The age limit to be drafted into the United Forces is 17 to 49. What happens if I get drafted? What happens if Tonraq is drafted? What happens... what happens if **_Huojin_** gets drafted?"

"He... he won't..." Tonraq muttered, hoping that Huojin was safe, "I don't think he's old enough to be drafted... yet."

Asami was confused.

"Who _is_ Huojin?" she questioned, "Boys, is there something you're not telling me?"

Tonraq and Hakoda exchanged glances, but it was Tonraq who decided to tell the truth.

"He's... the new Avatar," said Tonraq, "He's Guangli and Nyima's son, and a wiseass. But, he did just save the entire city... I have to give him credit for that."

"Where is he?" Asami raised her voice, wanting to know where Huojin was, "If I can live to grow up and befriend Avatar Korra, I think I can at least get to know Avatar Huojin."

"Mom, at least rest before you go off again," Hakoda advised, "Besides, the kids haven't seen their Grandma yet."

The name 'Grandma' was something Asami never expected to hear. She knew that Tonraq was married, but after he and his wife left for the Northern Water Tribe, Asami never received a single letter from the north. It had been so long since she had last been visited by her sons, 6 years to be exact.

Moving her chair in between the two beds, Asami sat down, set her purse on the floor, and relaxed in her seat.

"Boys, I want to know everything that's happened to you to," Asami said, "And I'd like to hear 6 years worth of events, stories, and everything about your families. I've missed out on **too much**."

 **《 》**

As the night went, morning soon came, and life in the city had returned to normal. The arena had been closed off by the Police, the hospitals were filled to the brim with injured patients, civilians went back to work, but the United Forces was on high alert. President Amagawa was forced to take action, and as he sat in his busy office, the radio on his desk crackled, signaling that the news was about to air.

 _"This is Ise Chu, and this is the Elemental Times Morning Radio Show!"_ a woman announced, her tone cheerful in a way, _"If you've read today's newspaper already, then you've read the startling, terrifying, and shocking article written by our investigative journalist: Kinnojo Kaiyama! Now, we've all discovered about the Si Wong Civil War: the war we never even knew about!"_

Okura cocked an eyebrow, wanting to know what Ise was talking about exactly. Everyone else in the office stopped, listening closely and carefully.

 _"Thanks to a few anonymous tips, a source in the Metal Nation's Military, and an interview with a few freed Prisoners of War, we know who attacked first, and **why** they attacked! The Earth Kingdom is responsible for illegally seizing land from a farmer and his family and the soldiers supposedly killed the farmer in front of his wife and children! Multiple tribes, towns, and Sandbending Raiders have banded together to fight the Earth Kingdom's Military, and the United Forces is refusing to help either side in the fight! Now, there are rumors of the Earth Kingdom preparing new Weapons of Mass Destruction to obliterate the Si Wong Rebels, and people here in Republic City are now wondering why the President won't order sanctions against the Earth Kingdom!"_

Gritting his teeth, Okura wondered why nobody had told him about what was going on, let alone mention it to him.

 _"There are an estimated 400 Earth Kingdom soldiers imprisoned by the Si Wong Rebels, and over 700 Si Wong Rebels in Earth Kingdom prison camps. From our source in the Metal Nation, they could only tell us of a rumor, a rather shocking one, that over 40 citizens of Zaofu- most of them young adults- were illegally conscripted into the Earth King's Elite Forces, and the Prime Minister of the Fire Nation, Kakuzo Hatakeda, has called for the arrest of King Luo-shan. So, if the Earth King were ever to vacation on Ember Island, he may find his diplomatic immunity completely and unfortunately useless!"_

"Mr. President," one of the faculty members spoke up, "I don't think-"

"Quiet, Mr. Ryom," growled Okura, balling his fists, "I want to hear this."

 _"The Fire Nation has many outposts near the edge of the Si Wong Desert, and if any were to fall under Si Wong Rebel control **or** Earth Kingdom Control, a civil war could turn into a world war, one worse than the Hundred Year War! All we can do is hope that the Avatar finds a way to bring an end to the conflict, and as a native of the Earth Kingdom myself, I know how hard it's going to be to have to step in between a full-scale Rebellion **and** your own nation! Hopefully, things in the desert will die down after the Mokuzai Summit here in Republic City!"_

Turning the radio off, Okura let out a long sigh of frustration. He slammed his fist on the desk, scaring everyone in the office. Obviously and apparently, Okura was angry, absolutely **_furious_. **

"How come I was never told of this?!" Okura questioned, "Do we **not** have troops in the Si Wong Desert?!"

"We never sent troops to the desert, sir," said a United Forces Commander, "We never got the greenlight to do so, either."

"I should've known about this earlier..." groaned Okura, rubbing the bride of his nose, "First, it's the problem with the Draft Act, and now _**this.**_ The last year of my term is going up in flames." Okura looked down at the papers on his desk, reading over the text slowly and carefully. It was an executive order, one that would induct those eligible, even supposedly pacifistic Airbenders, into the United Forces.

Okura was close to picking up the pen from his desk, but he shook his head, refusing to sign the the paper. He thought of what would happen if he were to sign the executive order. There would be a major backlash, not just from the people of Republic City, but in the Air Nation as well. Most Airbenders were pacifistic, but those who had yet to earn their tattoos, the _younger_ generation of the Air Nation, had different views when it came to spirituality and politics.

"Ms. Niijima," Okura spoke to his secretary, "Call the representatives of the nations, and tell them that the date for the Mokuzai Summit has been changed."

"Yes, sir," said Ms. Niijima, and other of the staff members were confused, "What date do you want me to move it to, sir?"

"Three days from now," said Okura, "I want you to contact a few other people as well. Listen carefully; I want you to write these names down."

 **《 》**

Even though his own Grandfather was the Avatar, Zuko had only met two reincarnations of the Avatar, Aang and Korra. After so many years, troubling times, and the happiest points of his life, Zuko never expected to live so long, let alone get to meet his Great-Grandson's first-born child. This made Zuko one of the oldest living people in the known world, and Katara was the second oldest.

In his mind, Zuko wondered if he would live long enough to see the Earthbending Avatar.

As a man in his 120's, there wasn't really anything for Zuko to do around the Royal Palace. Of course, he always made sure Druk was fed and healthy, but the Dragon was as old as he was, and Druk could easily take care of himself now. Izumi was no longer the Fire Lord, and she moved to Ember Island on a 'semi-permanent' vacation, which practically left Zuko _alone._ Iroh, being the Fire Lord, didn't exactly stay behind the fortified walls of the palace, but instead chose to remain with the United Forces, and nobody, not even Zuko, knew where he was.

The throne was empty, and if Iroh were to die, Lu Ten would be the one to take the throne.

"Hmph, even at your age, you can't say a single word yet," Zuko chuckled, holding his Great- _Great_ Grandson in his arms, "You have your Father's eyes, but you have your other Father's face. Who knows, you just might be the first Airbending Prince of our family."

"That's _if_ he decides to become a prince," said Rohan, who sat in the chair next to Zuko, "We were thinking of getting him a pet, but Lu Ten and I can't decide on a Sky Bison or a Dragon."

Zuko laughed, a wide smile on his face. "Well, there's always Sky Bison on Bhanti Island, and Druk's mate managed to lay a few eggs. The choice is up to you and Lu Ten, Rohan."

"Well, we Airbenders are a little afraid of fire, so... maybe a dragon around our new home isn't exactly a good idea," Rohan laughed nervously, only to feel a strong gust of meat-smelling, hot wind on his neck, "No offense to you, Druk. You're alright with me."

Druk outstretched his wings, and rested his head on the ground, golden eyes flickering under the sunlight. Hearing the toddler begin to whine and cry, Druk lifted his head, and gently bit down on the baby's shirt, lifting him and setting him down onto the ground.

"Well, I think Aang made a new friend," Rohan smiled, watching as his son pulled at Druk's teeth, "Maybe having a Dragon isn't such a bad idea."

"It's nice to hear that name again," said Zuko, "But, I can't imagine this little rascal ever having a Dragon. Your Grandfather had Appa, so I think it's best that you and Lu Ten find a _fluffy_ companion for the little one."

Rohan nodded, adjusting the collar of his shirt. "Once we get to Republic City, I'm sure Meelo will find a baby bison for Aang."

"It's sad to know I have to travel hundreds of _thousands_ of miles to see my family," Zuko sighed, crossing his arms, "Do you really have to move to Republic City? I do enjoy talking with you about the advancement of the Air Nation, and Druk is going to miss having a playmate."

Druk snorted, and as Aang continued to tug and pull at his horns, the dragon let out an audible groan, nearly scaring the toddler to death.

"I'm back!"

Lu Ten entered the atrium, the small, rounded pebbles crunching under his feet. He had his father's looks, and, like most in his family, he had the signature light, golden brown eyes that Iroh had. Lu Ten kept his hair in a neat topknot, and his beard was finally starting to grow, but it was kept short so his son wouldn't get the idea to grab at his facial hair.

Standing on his wobbly legs, Aang ran over to his Father, and he fell forward, only to be caught by Lu Ten.

"I swear, he's getting faster by the day," said Lu Ten, carrying the toddler, "I have some good news, and some bad news."

"Oh really?" Zuko cocked an eyebrow.

"Come on, Lu Ten, you know how I hate waiting in suspense," Rohan grinned, but in actuality, he was a bit worried.

"Well... guess who just got promoted to Commander," Lu Ten teased, pointing to himself, "This handsome devil right here, that's who."

"I told you they'd promote you!" Rohan became overjoyed, and Zuko only smiled, proud of his eldest Great-Grandson.

But, Rohan became worried once again. "So, what's the bad news?"

"The bad news? Oh, right," Lu Ten stuttered, "I won't get that 4 month vacation afterall. There was an attack in Republic City, and I was lucky to even find a Biplane to get here. I think we might have to wait before moving into the new house. And I know you and your family have had issues in the past, but... you and Aang might have to stay on Air Temple Island for a little bit."

"Wait, what?!" Rohan jumped up from his seat, "Lu Ten, what if my Father is there? He won't accept Aang, and he still hates you!"

"Rohan, your parents live in Pasang, remember? That's 800 miles away from Republic City, and it's right above the clouds. Even if they decided to travel back to Air Temple Island, we'll be in our new house by then."

Rohan groaned, arms crossed as he thought of what would happen. Living on the island wouldn't be so bad, and it was only for a week or so. Besides, it had been so long since he had last seen Meelo, and Aang would finally be able to meet his cousins.

"F-Fine," Rohan reluctantly agreed, "When do we leave?"

 **《 》**

In the dark, deep catacombs of the Patola Mountains, dark spirits began to gather, blobs of reddish-purple beginning to build up in the cracks and crevasses of the rocky walls. Pulsing spirit vines wrapped around the crystal stalagmites of the catacombs, and a Red Lotus emblem had been carved into a smoothed wall, the glowing crystals making the emblem visible to those who entered. The catacombs acted as the main headquarters for those with the Red Lotus, and when new members were inducted into the Order, they often underwent brutal, excruciating trials, often deprived of food and water until every sense of their own humanity was _**obliterated.**_

In one of the makeshift rooms, the cloaked figure meditated, surrounding by glowing crystals and small waterfalls. A dark spirit clawed it's way into the room, but when it lingered around the man, all evil from the spirit had vanished, its aura morphing into the light and goodness it once was.

"Hmph," said the man, "You're a small one. I'm surprised you've been alive for this long."

The Wallaby Mouse Spirit jumped onto the man's head, only to jump back onto the stone floor, scurrying away under another rock. In front of the stranger, a single piece of ash floated softly onto the floor, and in an instant, it went up into orange and violet flames, and Shouwei appeared, his eyes glowing like polished jewels.

 _ **"Why do you call me to this accursed place?"**_ Shouwei asked, **_"...Ah, now I see. You are no Red Lotus member, nor do you have the aura of one. Why do you have the Book of Rōjin in your possession?"_**

"I have my reasons," the man replied.

 _ **"You are... different. You have a different agenda, am I correct? You were once a man who wanted to bring balance to this world, but you strayed from your path, and as a result, you lost the one woman you loved. Why do you chose to stay with the Red Lotus? I sense the goodness and light has returned to you."**_

"I'd rather destroy the Red Lotus from the inside," said the stranger, "I finally realized that what I did was wrong, and how important the Avatar was to this world _and_ the Spirit World. I spent 30 years in the Spirit World, and as I was there, I read and re-read almost every single scroll in Wan Shi Tong's library. Without the Avatar, this world would have been engulfed in shadows. Unalaq was wrong this whole time..."

 _ **"So, you are trying to redeem yourself?"**_ Shouwei questioned, tail swaying calmly, ** _"It is difficult for a man to apologize for his actions, but forgiving himself and the one he once harmed is something entirely different. When I return to my world, the spirits will smile down upon you. They might consider bringing your old friends back to your world."_**

"As reincarnations, or the people they were **before** the Red Lotus corrupted all of us?" the cloaked figure sighed, "All I want is to see her again, to have her back in my arms. I want all of this to be over..."

 _ **"This will be over when Vaatu's evil is vanquished,"**_ Shouwei muttered, _**"Consider this the beginning of a deal. Once the Avatar has mastered all four elements, you are to bring the Red Lotus down to its knees. Then, we shall decide the fate of the wandering souls of your friends. They will be very grateful if you do this."**_

"I'll make sure nothing happens to the Avatar," the man agreed, "Thank you for speaking with me at this time, Shouwei."

 _ **"If you wish to talk to me again, it must not be in a place such as this one,"**_ Shouwei replied, _**"We will meet another time soon, Zaheer."**_

Removing his cloak, Zaheer let out a long sigh, and watched as Shouwei disappeared, his body becoming a single piece of ash. The airbender brushed his hair back, and he looked at his reflection in the waterfall. Those who lived within the Spirit World did not age, and since had left in 176 AG, his appearance remained the same. The grey streaks in his hair never grew, but his beard had grown, almost covering his neck and reaching his collarbone.

Ever since Korra had let him escape to the Spirit World, Zaheer learned as much as he could from the spirits, and during the 5th year of his exile, he encountered many of the greatest spirits known to humankind; Wan Shi Tong, the Lion Turtles, almost too many to even count by hand. Zaheer had stumbled upon the Book of Rōjin in the Library, and after he was given permission to take the book, he spent almost a decade studying the book; resurrection incantations, spirit summons, locations of the old and ancient civilizations.

But, Zaheer couldn't find the right incantation to bring back P'li. Whoever had written the Book of Rōjin, they failed to record what had happened to Ming-Hua, Ghazan, or even P'li. Well, they didn't exactly fail, but the pages were missing, and the location of those pages was indeed a mystery.

From under his cloak, Zaheer took a picture from an inside pocket, and carefully unfolded an aging photo. The photo was taken long ago, to a time when things were calm and innocent. He and his friends, who he had turned into **monsters** , used to be like any other group of teens, but everything spiraled downhill since then, and Zaheer wondered where and _why_ it all went wrong.

"I'll make things right," Zaheer murmured, closing his eyes, "Everything is going to change for the better."

* * *

 **A/N:** _**I'M DEAD. I'VE SURVIVED, BUT I'M DEAD.**_

 _Hey, it's Karmaisms! I've passed my finals, and I'm officially a Sophomore now! I do apologize if you guys have been waiting AGES for this chapter. Finals week was a KILLER, but I made it._

 _Sweet spirits, Zaheer is back. Some people saw it coming, and others didn't!_

 _Oh, and did I ever tell you that Hakoda and Tonraq had kids? I didn't?! Well, I just did, but they will make an appearance shortly!_

 _And Zuko is still alive! Having Izumi made Zuko a father, Iroh made him a grandfather, Iroh's sons made Zuko a great-grandfather, and Lu Ten and Rohan's son made Zuko a great-great grandfather! Give the guy some credit; he's the oldest living (former) Fire Lord, and fortunately for him and everyone else, he didn't name Izumi **'Honora'**. _

_So, the next chapter will focus more on the rest of Team Avatar. It's kind of like the 'Tales of Ba Sing Se' episode, but in Republic City! The chapter will also introduce the new Team Avatar members, and a surprise character from TLoK will make an appearance!_

 _By the way, I will update the OC list, because I have decided to accept OCs that I previously did not accept at the beginning of this story. The list will soon be up on my profile!_

 _Now, the next chapter's publish date will probably be between in a few weeks to... yeah, probably a few weeks. My friends and I are going on a trip to Big Bear, and I WILL be busy having fun and... bowling... and spending my money on souvenirs._

 _Yep. I'm going to be **broke** by the end of the week._

 _Goodnight, and to those who are starting Summer School (except for my good friend Talar A.), good luck!_

 _ **-Karmaisms.**_


	8. Seven: Around the City, Part One

The smell of mint leaves, the sound of the rain falling against the roof, the familiar melody of the wooden wind chimes... Huojin dreamt about Piao Li, the wonders and mixed culture of his home. As he slept, his bruises, wounds, and sore muscles barely bothered him, but the fact that he had left everything behind- his friends, family, and teachers- threatened to wake him up from a peaceful sleep.

Huojin remembered the fun times he had with Seok-Ju, and the saddest of times, too. For three years, they went to the local fair with each other, nearly driving the game booths out of business, but one year, with Seok-Ju being sent to a rather prestigious, strict, and far away academy in Ba Sing Se's upper ring, things grew tense between the two, and with Huojin being the Avatar and all, it was a relationship that wasn't going to work forever.

It was when Huojin's Mother, Nyima, discovered the secret relationship, that ultimately decided the young Avatar's fate from there.

He'd **never** see Seok-Ju again, even if he managed to reach Ba Sing Se.

 _Nobody would allow it_.

 _"You're nothing but bones,"_ Seok-Ju would tell Huojin.

 _"And you're nothing but... ah, you got me there,"_ Huojin would tell Seok-Ju.

Finally waking up, Huojin let out a soft groan, groggily sitting up in his bed. For once, he didn't wake up to the sounds of boiling water, or screaming from one of his teachers, but the pleasant tunes of wind chimes, the chirping of birds, and the soft gusts of wind that traveled through the trees.

Huojin's new room wasn't big, but it was cleaner that his last room. The walls were an almost red colored wood, and the stone floor was just what Huojin needed, perfect for his feet, which were used to the feel of anything made from earth. Although, a rug took up half of the entire floor, a design of the Southern Air Temple weaved into the fabric. There were many pictures hanging on the wall, most in black and white, others in faded color. Scrolls written in an ancient language were placed near the open window, and Huojin's heart jumped when he recognized what they were meant for.

They were bending scrolls, and two of them were for the elements he desperately needed to learn.

 _If_ his body decided to work with him and **_not_** cramp up.

He got up, and slipped into a pair of leather sandals, chills running up his spine when his skin was pressed against the cold material. Huojin stood up, and felt somewhat uncomfortable wearing shoes, preferring to walk barefooted. But, he heard stories of the young Air Acolytes being scolded for not wearing shoes when needed to, and wearing shoes when not needed to.

And with the clothes he was wearing? Oh, Huojin was going to **lose** his hearing.

His pants were covered in layers of dirt and dust, and his shirt was basically cloth wrapped around his chest and shoulders. Huojin needed more than just what he was wearing. The basket next to his bed had a small note attached to it, the handwriting legible and clear for Huojin to read.

 _Donated from the Metal Nation Consulate of Republic City as gratitude for saving over 100 Metal Nation citizens. Thank you, Avatar.  
_ - _ **Metal Nation**_ _**Representative**_ _ **Cho-Mi Pak**_

Huojin set the note aside, and removed the top of the basket, clean clothes neatly folded and placed inside. There were all sorts of shades of green; from and ashen green, to vibrant of emerald, to the darkest of green, which looked almost black to Huojin. These were the colors of both the Metal Nation and Earth Kingdom, and they were going to be Huojin's main wardrobe for quite a while. It just depended on if he kept them clean and free of tears.

"Thank you very much, Cho-Mi," Huojin spoke to himself, picking up the heavy basket, "Let's see how long _these_ last."

He took the basket, struggling to lift it from the ground. Whatever they had left for him, it weighed at least a few pounds, maybe even more! Huojin remembered that this _was_ given to him by a few people of the Metal Nation, so maybe they had given him some actual metal to work with?

Huojin ended up tripping over the rug, nearly faceplanting into the floor. If he hadn't created the two, small pillars of earth in time, he would've gotten himself a broken nose.

And it _**wouldn't** _ have been pretty, either.

 **《** **》**

Herb and Medicine shops weren't uncommon around Republic City, but finding them was quite a challenge. They were hidden in the smallest of areas, the most unknown of districts, and even in plain sight. The Spirit Wilds were somewhat of a tame area now, the roads clear for travelers and cars, newly built sidewalks made for both Spirits and Humans, homes and apartments built into the living trees, and of course, the shops hidden among the growing vegetation.

Despite the protests from both his Mother and those who worked at the hospital, Tonraq had left, tightly wrapped bandages keeping his wounds from opening, and the salve protecting him from infection. He wore his full White Lotus uniform, and if he hadn't, he'd be cold thanks to the dense canopy of trees. Glancing at the scroll in his hands, Tonraq found the place he had been looking for: a small shop which dealt with medicines, herbs, and cures that no man had heard of before. It was owned by a man named Gan, who hailed from a southernmost state in the Earth Kingdom, but was rumored to be the first to bend _more_ than Earth, and even cure bending-related ailments.

With Tonraq's waterbending hindered by injuries to his nerves, he needed an alternate way of receiving treatment for the damage, and rehabilitation for 10 months wasn't going to work for him. He wasn't the patient child of his family, and he would never be.

As Tonraq entered Gan's shop, he was greeted by the smell of incense and dampened clay. Light from the open rafters reflected off crystals, creating a warm, calm ambiance within the shop. Chimes hung from the ceiling, smaller spirits enjoyed the peacefulness, fruit trees grew in through the open windows.

Tonraq knew he was in the presence of an energybender, but was unsure if Gan was a spirit, human, or the rare combination of both. There were rumors of energybenders being born- despite the fact that finding scrolls or learning from the Lion Turtles, and at the time, was the only way to learn such a form of bending- and it was possible for Gan to possess such knowledge of the art.

A once lost bending art that could save Tonraq's waterbending.

Behind the shop's counter, Gan stocked the shelves with fresh ginger root, incense, and ground minerals inside of jars, carefully making sure they were in the right place. Like most from the Earth Kingdom, Gan's skin was a bit tan, and he was quite the muscular one. His hair was black, short, and pushed upwards by a dusk green, short scarf wrapped around his forehead. He wore robes meant for traveling in the Si Wong desert, but the darker shades of green and black reflected the heat away, but as cold as it was under the canopy of vines, Gan made the right choice wearing plain, heavy-looking robes.

Glancing once, Gan turned, and set his palms flat against the wooden countertop. Tonraq noticed the bruises and faded scars traveling up the shopkeeper's arms, but the sleeves of his robes covered the rest, arousing Tonraq's suspicion.

"It's not everyday I get a White Lotus member in this shop," said Gan, "Can I help you with something?"

"I assume you're Gan, correct?" Tonraq inquired, and Gan simply nodded.

"I can tell you're stressed, and by the way you're breathing, you've been recently injured, right?" Gan questioned, lowering his guard, "Maybe some dragon root will help with that? It's not poisonous, and if you eat it while frozen, it can definitely help with weakened waterbending."

"How did you-?"

"I've studied for a while. The spirits tell me you're no stranger to their world, either," Gan said, and took a book from under the counter, blowing the dust from its stone cover, "There were a few people to come around here last night, most asking for help with their blocked chi or injuries. I had to turn most of them away. They weren't exactly planning to pay me for the aid."

"So, why are you going to help me, then? I _could_ be an impostor."

"You? The eldest child of _**the** _ Avatar? An **impostor**? Hah!" Gan chuckles, "We Earthbenders know when someone is lying, and when someone is telling the truth. You need your chi unblocked, and that's what I'm going to do. However, if you don't relax, I might end up changing your element..."

"That's impossible! Only the Avatar and the Lion Turtles can do such a thing!" Tonraq argued, "How can you, and _Earthbender_ , learn _that_?"

"It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that. I had to travel for 8 years across the land, sea, and even into the spirit world for a few months. It's hard missing out on life with family as well, but the reward for my journey was _**more** _ than I could've asked for," Gan explained, removing his robe, "You're a waterbender, right? Wouldn't want to unblock the wrong chi lines."

Tonraq nodded silently, and Gan huffed, scanning the thin, brittle pages of the ancient book. He tapped at one page, reading the almost-undecipherable text. Before Tonraq could peek at the page, Gan closed the book, and put it away, closing the cabinet.

"I'm... starting to sense some pretty negative aura within you," Gan spoke, "You're upset about something. Did something happen in the past?"

"It's none of your business," Tonraq growled, glaring at Gan, "Just get this over with. I have places to be."

"We all do," said Gan, "But _I_ don't have bad memories of my Mother."

Using water from a clay jar next to him, Tonraq attempted to water whip Gan, only to be subdued by two pillars of earth, his hands trapped. He was pulled down to his knees, and another slab of earth held his legs down, making sure he wouldn't escape.

"I don't like violence in a place like this. You'll disturb the peace," Gan groaned, moving Tonraq into the middle of the shop, "I stopped fighting for profit years ago, and do you know what that got me? A family, that's what. It's thanks to people like you that ruin things, just like you attempted to ruin _your_ brother's reputation."

"You don't know me!" Tonraq spat, sea-blue eyes filled with anger.

"You don't know yourself, and that's a problem," Gan replied, placing one hand on Tonraq's forehead, and the other near his heart. Then, the earthbender hit these areas with force, but Tonraq only felt the pain in his chest. His eyes bulged from his head, and his vision blurred, everything turning white. In seconds, the face of the Water Lion Turtle appeared, its eyes staring directly at Tonraq, as if it was trying to look into his very soul.

The Water Lion Turtle blinked only once, and the waterbender could tell that the great spirit had been angered by Tonraq's arrogance. He was practically thrown back into reality, and found himself slumped over, fluids pouring out of his mouth and onto the floor. Tonraq, somehow, felt better than before, as if his wounds and the impurities within him had disappeared completely.

Gan released him from the pillars, allowing Tonraq to calm himself before getting up onto his feet.

"What... what did you...?" Tonraq trailed off, tasting salt in the back of his mouth, "What happened?"

"A simple chi re-connection," said Gan, creating a seat of stone, "It was simple, really. If you can block chi, you can unlock it just as easily, even if you're no bloodbender like Yakone _or_ his crazy sons."

"You realize those sons of his are alive and well?" Tonraq admitted, "And as soon as they get out of that hospital, they're going straight to jail."

"But do they really deserve going to a prison? Trust me, I've been to places like Boiling Rock, and the men who end up there don't come out the same again," sighed Gan, taking a seat, "My wife was worried sick during that time, and she even sent me a nail file to break through the bars. Talk about loyalty, am I right?"

Tonraq chuckled, his grin turning into a smirk.

"My wife would've done the same," said Tonraq, "I appreciate what you did for me. I won't forget it, either."

"Well, you better not. I need more customers around here," Gan said, "Go on, now. Tell everyone how to regained your bending, friend. I'll be here waiting for the next crowd of people."

 **《** **》**

When Republic City was first built, Tea Houses were placed in the cracks of crevices of the townhouses and buildings in development. Some were lucky to even find these old tea houses, others, and with the right information, were able to discover the famed properties.

Fei had been in many tea houses and eateries during his travels, but he found the ones in Republic City to be different, especially the one he sat in at the moment. There weren't many people in the shop, so he sat alone at his table, enjoying a hot, steaming cup of Matcha.

Fei took the time to read through scrolls during his day of rest, studying the ancient text written with charcoal and water. He took a sip of his tea, and as he set the cup down, a bird landed at his table, the red bellied Sparrow-Cardinal letting out a symphony of chirps and whistles. It ruffled its feathers, and took off, slipping through the open window.

"The birds always like to bother people 'round here," said a young woman, sitting at the table across from Fei's, "I've never seen you here before. You new?"

Looking over the top of his scroll, Fei looked at the person asking the question. She looked more like a ruffian to Fei, and he couldn't help but to notice the scars over her lips. They were almost jagged, her chin and left cheek marred by the two claw scars. Fei wondered how she could've possibly earned such grotesque looking scars, and this only added to his curiosity. Of course, he was prompted to ask how it happened, but he didn't exactly want to make her nervous in any way.

"I'm just visiting," was all Fei said, and went back to reading his scroll. He heard tapping against a table, then, rustling, and after a minute or so, he could hear footsteps, and they were getting closer. The young woman said nothing, and took a seat at Fei's table, setting her cup of tea down next to his. By the looks of it, she was definitely the type of person to get herself into fights, but as soon as Fei saw the variety of daggers hooked to her belt, the put-together clothes she wore, and even the fiery glow in her eyes, even he could tell he wasn't talking to just another girl.

She was a **triad.**

"Just visiting?" she questioned, scratching at her nose, "That's what everyone says when I talk with 'em. Either they don't like me, or they don't like a girl who wears _pants._ "

"Pants are just pants. Anyone can wear them," said Fei, grinning, "Except animals, of course. I don't think any Sky Bison could fit into a pair of pants."

"No, but I've seen a Hog Monkey wear some, and it drove 'em nuts, I'll tell you that," the girl chuckled, "So, what's your name, stranger? I don't want to have to peek at your ID just to check."

 _Pickpocket_ , Fei thought, his arms crossed.

"Fei," he replied, his grin turning into a smile, "And you are-?"

"Leechi," she said, somewhat confusion the other.

"Is... that a nickname or a given name?" he inquired, his left hand flat on the ground.

"Both," said Leechi, fingers tapping against the table, "You don't exactly have a lot of name choices, especially when you live in a place where kids barely live to be my age."

 _She **is** telling the truth, _Fei thought once again, lifting his hand, _But she is hiding something._

"I'm going to guess you're no normal nonbender, are you? You're one of _those_ Earthbenders," Leechi guessed correctly, glaring at Fei, "What? You think I'm lying about something, mister?"

"Wha-? No, of course not. Why would I-?"

Before Fei could even finish his sentence, a paper flew right into his face, flakes of gold nearly causing him to choke as he inhaled. He could hear Leechi burst into laughter, but she was generous enough to pull the paper away before Fei could choke on it.

It was a flyer from Air Temple Island, an advertisement. It displayed two emblems, one of the Air Nation, and the other, the split symbols of both the Northern and Southern Water Tribe.

水和空氣彎曲機需要訓練阿凡達！  
(water and air benders needed to train the avatar!)  
選擇的教師應得到免費床上用品和服務費！  
(chosen teachers shall receive free bed and board as payment for their services!)

Fei rolled the flyer and placed it into the inner pocket of his cloak, not giving Leechi a chance to read it.

"What? Something important?" she asked, curious to know what he had read.

"It's just another job offer," he lied, gathering his things, "You're a resident around here, yes?"

"I don't have a permanent address, you know," Leechi sighed, "Leaving already?"

"Sticking around in one place won't advance me to another," said Fei, getting up from the mat, "Besides, Air Temple island is the one place I have yet to visit in this city."

 **《** **》**

Ever since the Metal Nation had expanded, more and more of their citizens began to move to Republic City, creating larger, more exclusive neighborhoods near the city outskirts. Most were private neighborhoods, closed off to those who didn't live within the area _or_ know someone who lived there. They were like country clubs, and it took money to move in, too.

If you were one of the world's top Earthbenders in Pro-Bending, you could get anything, especially if you happened to marry someone from Zaofu.

The new Bei Fong household was more of a miniature mansion, and if it was just another apartment or smaller house, things would've been hectic. Each sibling had their own 'identifiable' traits, and 'identifiable' had to be used thanks to the fact that there were two sets of twins in the family.

Height; it was Norbu and the youngest twins, Toza and Taisho, that towered over the rest of their siblings, but not their parents.

Rowdiness; Bumi, Dorjee, and Li were always the ones causing chaos around the house, and their roughhousing was often scolded by their mother.

Bending; While every single one of the siblings could bend, not all of them were Earthbenders. Dorjee and his older brother, Gyatso, were Airbenders. Toza, Taisho, and Li were the first and only Metalbenders of the siblings. Norbu, Nima, Bumi, and Nana were, just like their father, normal Earthbenders.

None of them went to any bending academy, but they were, at one point, given lessons by their relatives in Zaofu _and_ Ba Sing Se.

Although, with Toza and Taisho, they were... _troublesome._

While most of the family, including Bolin and Opal, were out of the house, the youngest twins were left at home, both arguing with each other after a long, strenuous game of Power Disc. Even with their Uncle Baatar currently staying in their home, there wasn't exactly a guarantee of him monitoring everything the twins did.

Correction : there was no guarantee of him monitoring anything.

"No way you won that! If Grandpa were here, he'd tell you just how bad you are at the game!" Taisho groaned, a damp towel draped around his neck, "You got me right in the face! That's disqualification, man!"

"Street rules apply here in the city, Tai. I totally won that!" Toza argued, golden-yellow eyes flickering with anger, "Don't be a sore loser about it! That's exactly why I'm Grandma's favorite."

Toza received an elbow-jab to his ribcage, and he doubled over, shortly stunned by the sudden blow.

"I **super** hate you right now," Toza wheezed, glaring at his brother. He had the urge to, and like always, tackle his brother into the ground, but without warning, he and Toza were grabbed by Baatar, both whining in pain as their ears were pinched.

"Boys, I swear, you two are acting just like my now- _adult_ children," Baatar could only groan, highly irritated by his two nephews, "If I had any say in your little issues, I'd send the both of you two the nearest youth detention camp _without_ hesitation. I'm sure you wouldn't want to sleep in bed-bug infested bunks, would you?"

"He started it!" Taisho shouted.

"No, **_he_** started it!" Toza shouted back.

"I don't care about _who_ started _what_! If you're lucky, I won't tell your parents about this little argument, and I might not tell them about the usage of an **irreplaceable** heirloom in a game of power disc," Baatar threatened, his grip on Toza and Taisho's ears loosening, "Now, you two are going to come to an agreement before I count to-"

"We're **sorry** ," the twins said in unison, both aching to lunge for each other again.

"Alright, _fine_ ," sighed Baatar, allowing the two to go, "One more fight, and you two are going to stay with your _artist_ of an Uncle."

The twins groaned, reminded of the stories they were told of their 'weird' Uncle Huan.

The phone began to ring in the kitchen. The twins glanced at each other, back at their uncle, then, back at each other.

"Oh, no. I'm answering the call this time," said Baatar, pushing past his nephews, "Both of you just... go watch something on the television. I'd rather have some quiet time instead of hearing my brother-in-law's children causing havoc."

Baatar breathed out, brushed the lint from his clothes, and calmed himself before reaching for the telephone, the silver handle cold against the palm of his hand.

"Hello? This is Baatar Bei Fong," he spoke, hearing a soft clicking on the other line.

 _"Baatar? The same glasses-wearing nerd I ran into during **high school**?" _ A gruffer voice asked, _"It's me, Big Kuzo! Remember?"_

Baatar rolled his eyes, his grin turning into a scowl.

"Ah, yes, now I remember. My backside still hurts from my underwear being pulled over my head," Baatar grumbled, "What do you want, Kakuzo? With you being a Prime Minister and all, I assume you're busy with politics."

 _"Well, not exactly. I'm on break,"_ Kakuzo chuckled, _"How's the family, friend? Did you marry Kuvira or did you marry someone else?"_

"I never married Kuvira," admitted Baatar, making sure his nephews were out of earshot of his conversation, "Months later, I get a call from the prison warden, and she tells me that I'll be a father within the next few months. My first son was born, and I automatically became his legal guardian _and_ a single parent. So, I go to visit her after a year or two, and it turns into a... _conjugal_ visit."

 _"I'm gonna guess that's how to ended up with kid number 2, right?"_

"If you're talking about my other son, then yes, that's how he was conceived. I had no choice but to raise my children in Zaofu, and it was painful having to tell them they wouldn't see their own Mother for years."

 _"And... how many years exactly?"_

"If she's lucky, she'll be out within the next year or so. She wasn't given life in prison, and if it wasn't for my testimony, she would've been given a death sentence, and my sons wouldn't have been born."

 _"W-Wow, man. You saved your supposed-to-be wife, had kids with her, and now you're just acting like everything's normal?"_

"Everything _is_ normal, Kakuzo. My first son has established himself as a contractor in Ba Sing Se's upper ring, my second son has graduated with top honors from Zaofu's most prestigious academy of science, and my first grandchild is well on her way to becoming a well-respected young lady."

 _"Even though she's... what... only 4?"_

"2 years of age, actually, and she can already speak."

 _"Well, I'm starting to feel a bit jealous here, but, I love my son, even if he has a bit of a bad swing in boxing."_

Baatar cocked an eyebrow.

"You allow your son to participate in fights?" he questioned.

 _"Junior League Boxing, Baatar. Even though my wife wanted to raise a polite, non-violent airbender, Tarak is just like his old man!"_

"If he's just like his father, than I assume he'll be a politician, yes?"

 _"Nope! He's gonna be the first airbending boxer to ever make it to the championship!"_ Kakuzo let out a hearty laugh, rather proud of his only child, "As a matter of fact, you should come down to see one of his matches! I'm sure you have the time to come down to Republic City, right?"

"Kakuzo, I currently live near the edge of Republic City. Where are you? The outskirts?"

 _"Nope. Air Temple Island. I had to leave the big city in the Fire Nation to attend a meeting with the President, and my son had an important match to participate in, too. Plus, my wife wanted to visit with her family."_

 _This is just **fantastic,**_ Baatar mentally sighed.

 _"You wanna go out sometime? Grab a quick drink or something?"_ Kakuzo asked.

"I have dietary restrictions, Kakuzo. I can drink water, but saké is out of the question," Baatar said, "I'll consider it. But, don't expect me to eat anything fattening, either."

 _"Aw, you're no fun at all, are you?"_ groaned Kakuzo, _"Listen, friend, I have to go. I'll talk to you later, yeah?"_

"If I'm here, I'll answer the phone," Baatar half-lied, "It... It was _nice_ talking to you, Kakuzo."

 _"Good to hear from you again, Baatar,"_ the Prime Minister laughed, and he hung up, the line going dead.

Setting the phone down, Baatar could hear the television in the living room. Sneaking through the hall, he peeked into the room, grinning as he saw his nephews asleep on the daybed, both snoring louder than their own father. Before they had fallen asleep, they were watching a marathon of cartoons.

"Kids nowadays," Baatar huffed, his grin slowly turning into a smile, "If I stay here any longer, these two are going to be the death of-"

"Uncle Baatar!" Norbu called out, nearly tumbling down the stairs, "Hello? Anyone home?"

The green-eyed young man stumbled into the living room, his head hitting the top of the archway. He was taller than his siblings _and_ his father, which had earned him the nickname 'Big Norbu'. He wasn't exactly thin, and thanks to years worth of lifting boulders that would gradually increase in size, he had some muscle, too.

Somehow, he was the only one who closely resembled his father, Bolin.

"Careful, Norbu. Don't hurt yourself," Baatar warned, "Were you asleep upstairs? I thought you went out with your sisters?"

"Shopping for clothes gets boring. I wanted to go to Air Temple Island, but I took a nap first," Norbu yawned, falling right into what room was left on the daybed.

"Air Temple Island? What business do you have there?" asked Baatar.

"I got invited to some competition by a waterbender named Tikaani. They're looking for Waterbenders and Airbenders for some training thing, but they want an Earthbender, too" said Norbu, sinking into the pillows, "She's probably still outside, too. In the tree, I think."

"The tree?!" Baatar gasped, "Your older brother nearly got himself killed climbing that behemoth of a spirit tree!

"Not our problem," Toza and Taisho said in unison, but Norbu forced himself to get up, following his uncle to the outside courtyard.

The courtyard wasn't as spectacular as any yard found in Zaofu, but chunks of rare ore and jennamite jutted up from the ground, creating a bit of an ambiance outside of the house. Even with a giant spirit tree the size of 6 Sky Bisons growing in the very center of the courtyard, it was still a pretty sight.

But, with a young waterbender dangling from a branch, things had gone from good to worse.

"No need to worry, Mr. Bei Fong!" Tikaani shouted, arms and legs wrapped around the thick branch, "I'm totally fine! I just got stuck!"

"Stuck? Do you need me to call the fire department? Or should I call the police to come and arrest a trespasser?" threatened the older man, prompting the young woman to cautiously climb down the tree trunk.

Baatar could tell that she was of the water tribe, but there was no way to tell if she was of the Southern of Northern Water Tribe.

"Sorry if I snuck into your backyard, Mr. Bei Fong," Tikaani apologized, "I was handing out these flyers, and one flew right into this yard. Your nephew found it, and we talked for a minute about the little challenge on the island."

"Challenge? What chall- who are you again?" Baatar became confused.

"Tikaani, sir! I'm a waterbender with the Palartok Polar Bear-Dogs," she explained, "You know? The-"

"Junior Pro-Bending League team. Yes, I know," Baatar sighed, "Now, what challenge are you talking about?"

"Oh, right!" Tikaani took a scroll from her satchel, handing it to Baatar, "The monks on Air Temple Island are looking for people to train the Avatar. They need mostly Airbenders and Waterbenders, but some Earthbenders are needed, too."

"The Avatar?" Baatar's jaw nearly dropped, memories of the last Avatar, Korra, flashing in his head, "There's another Avatar?"

"Yes, sir. He just arrived a day or two ago," said Tikaani, "You wouldn't happen to know anyone else interested in the challenge, would you?"

Baatar eyed his nephew, who, and fortunately, knew a thing or two about Earthbending.

"My nephew, Norbu, would be interested in this challenge," Baatar said with a barely-genuine smile, pushing his tallest nephew forward, "There aren't any triads attending, are there?"

"Nope. Nada. No triads are allowed," Tikaani told him, "Is Norbu a Pro Bender?"

"Not exactly, but I don't think his parents will mind if he participates in a small event," Baatar smiled coyly, a plan to meet the Avatar forming in his head, "I, however, would have to go and make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

* * *

 **A/N** : _Is it weird that I can't get "Yo, b*tch, it's Bobo Dakes" out of my head? It is? Blame my addiction to video games._

 _Hey, it's Karmaisms! I'm back, and yes, I'm very much alive! I was dealing with issues with my anxiety, but I'm good for now. I just can't take any pills without getting a headache and nausea, though._

 _This is just part one of an update to this story, and *shocker* : Baatar is alive? And he had kids?! Yes, yes he is, and he does._

 _Although, I have some news. I think I'd like to take a break from working on these stories, but just for a little bit. I'm helping a friend of mine with another fanfic, and I'd like to help her with that for a while. Updates on The New Era might happen once or twice a month, though. Sorry about that._

 _But, I updated for, and someone might've guessed it, not-actual-mOM, AKA Luigi._

 _You're not my mOM, man. JESUS. Just kidding, though. I'd never yell at you or anyone else in real life._

 _So, I'm going to dunk my hands in some ice, now. My fingers. They are on fire._

 _G'night, people. Or good morning to others!_

 _-Karmaisms_


End file.
